{"id":4018,"date":"2022-06-24T07:25:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T07:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawkins.salttest.co\/?page_id=4018"},"modified":"2025-08-12T16:54:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T15:54:46","slug":"composites","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/forensic-investigation\/materials-chemistry-biology\/composites\/","title":{"rendered":"Composites"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Composites<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A composite material is any multicomponent material that contains two or more distinct constituents or phases, i.e. it is made from a combination of two or more different types of constituent material. Perhaps the most familiar examples in modern engineering are glass or carbon fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP or CFRP). <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whilst ubiquitous in nature, the application of engineered composite materials has become increasingly more widespread since the mid-20th<\/sup> century. \u00a0More recently, rather than being limited primarily to the aerospace and marine industries, composite materials have found uses in all manner of everyday applications in a variety of domestic, commercial and industrial settings.\u00a0 Typically, they are still used in components that require high strength and rigidity, but with minimal weight, although in recent years they have also become increasingly popular for their aesthetic properties.<\/p>

The purpose of a composite material is to optimise the individual component properties by the process of combination.\u00a0 For example, in GFRP and CFRP, high-strength fibres are combined in plastic matrices to create a strong, lightweight engineering \u2018composite\u2019 material.\u00a0 These materials are now commonly used in the automotive and marine sectors, but also in applications such as pipework, sporting equipment (e.g.\u00a0 bicycle parts and tennis racquet frames) and increasingly so, medical prosthetics, athlete\u2019s running blades being probably one of the best-known examples.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Composite Materials Failures<\/span><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Even the most technologically advanced materials can fail, whether through environmental effects, poor design, or manufacture, or due to extraordinary and unforeseen events.\u00a0 The sudden and unexpected failure of a composite material can, and often does have catastrophic results, such as the collapse of fork on a bicycle or the rupture of a pressure vessel.\u00a0 When investigating the failure of a composite material it is important to understand why that particular material was chosen in the first instance, how the different component parts have been, or should have been combined to maximise the resultant properties of the material, and how those components are likely to behave in the chosen application and environment.<\/span><\/p>

If you are dealing with the failure of a component or a structure made from a composite material, you want to know what has caused it and how to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future, you need a forensic investigator.\u00a0 Hawkins can provide an expert who is familiar with all aspects of a case and can offer clarity and answers to your questions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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WHY APPOINT A FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We have the technical knowledge and experience to tell you why<\/em> a composite material component or structure failed, and not just what caused it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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