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    Articles related to Composite Materials

    Composite Textiles and the Many Layers of Opportunities

    Although the applications of composite textiles are multi-directional, there are several factors that may slow down the growth pace. High cost of raw materials and the requirement for skilled manpower are among the biggest roadblocks for this industry.

    Published: 10 Oct 2023

    When we hear the word ‘textile’, the first few words that usually pop into our minds are fabrics, suits, texture, or maybe even our favorite clothing brand. But, the advancement of technology has broadened both the scope and the applications of textiles so much that starting from the circuit board in your mobile phone, to complex parts of an aircraft, everything today is being made using textiles. However, not every textile is capable of offering the flexibility of being used in such a wide range of applications, and hence composite textiles have been the ‘go-to’ material across several industries for quite some time now. Every Industry that Requires Lightweighting, Requires Composites: Known for their exceptional structural properties combined with their lightweighting capabilities, composite textiles find applications in every industry where durability and lightweighting are the key design requirements. This includes the entire mobility sector because of their common aim of achieving reduced emissions and better fuel efficiency, the wind energy sector, construction, electronics, and many other industries. Listed below are some key applications of composite textiles across these industries. Fig. 1: Key applications of composite textiles The industries combinedly have the potential to generate a demand of ~$7.2 bn worth of composite textiles in 2023, which would scale up to $9.5 bn by 2028, according to Stratview Research. Although the focus on increasing the penetration of composites is more in the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries; the biggest share of the demand for composite textiles is generated by the Wind Energy sector, followed by the Electrical and Electronics sector, currently and in the coming years as well. Close to 50% of the current demand for composite textiles in the market is generated by these two industries alone according to an analysis from Stratview Research. Fig. 2: Composite textiles market trend and forecast (US$ billion)

    FCEVs Driving the Carbon Composite Hydrogen Tanks

    It is expected that by 2030, FCEVs will account for >1% of the global powertrain mix, which would represent around 1.2 to 1.7 million hydrogen vehicles including lightweight and commercial vehicles, each one of which will be equipped with CCHTs for hydrogen storage.

    Published: 03 Aug 2023

    In 2014, Toyota opened the doors to the hydrogen society by launching Toyota Mirai, the world’s first commercial FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). However, Mirai was not the first FCEV developed in the world. The credit of introducing the first FCEV to the world goes to General Motors, which developed Electrovan more than a half century ago in 1966. The GM Electrovan containing 2 giant storage tanks for hydrogen and oxygen, 32 fuel cell modules, electric motor, and a 550-feet piping throughout the rear of the vehicle weighted around 7,100 pounds. This system relied on rare metals including platinum, which made it too expensive, and no proper hydrogen infrastructure was there those days, which made this vehicle a failure. From GM Electrovan, that had a range of just 160 Kms, to today’s fuel cell vehicles that can range easily more than 600 Kms, the new-age fuel cell vehicles have seen a transition of innovation. An era of risky storage, prohibitive cost, and with less room has ended with the dawn of high-pressure vessels, specifically – Carbon Composite Hydrogen Tanks (CCHTs) for fuel storage. Carbon Composite Hydrogen Tanks, Their Types, & Applications CCHTs are the pressure vessels fully wrapped by carbon composites with metallic or polymeric liners (Type III & Type IV). Type III tank has a metal liner (aluminium or steel) with full composite overwrap, whereas Type IV is a complete carbon fiber made tank having an inner liner made of polyamide or polyethylene plastic. In 2021, hydrogen pressure vessels had nearly 7% share of the total pressure vessels market, a majority of which is CCHT. Table.1. Types of Pressure Vessels The reason behind preferring carbon composites for the new-age hydrogen pressure vessels is that these materials are known for their superior strength & durability along with light weight, offering a mass-reduction between 50%-70%. CCHTs find usage in a variety of applications, including cars, buses, trucks, forklifts, trains, ships, refuelling stations, bulk gas transportation, and back-up power. However, FCEV is the one application which generates over 90% of the demand for CCHTs.

    Innovations Drive Improved Orthopedic Prosthetic Implants

    Mobility is one of the fundamental requirements for any human. Accidents can be avoided, but conditions such as inflammatory diseases, degeneration of bones, and the many bone issues that come with aging are inevitable. It is quite clear that in the coming years, the population using prostheses will continue to rise. Orthopedic prosthetic implants are utilized either to replace a damaged body part enabling proper functioning with improved strength, or to make an available fixation point of bone to hold the implant.

    Published: 01 Jul 2023

    The first ever bone plate that was implanted in a human body is reported to be in the 1560s, centuries before the advent of anesthesia. Since then, there has been no looking back in the implants sector, and further upgrades in medical inventions have led the way to the development of orthopedic prosthetic implants. Orthopedic prosthetic implants are utilized either to replace a damaged body part enabling proper functioning with improved strength, or to make an available fixation point of bone to hold the implant. Each year, more than 500,000 patients globally suffer a spinal cord injury for reasons ranging from sports-related trauma and road accidents to increasing incidences of spondylolisthesis and disc degenerative conditions, and more, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. These incidents lead to severe health conditions, and in some cases, a patient can even be confined to a wheelchair. In many cases, orthopedic prosthetic implants can enable such patients to get regain their mobility. Artificial limbs, spinal fusion, joint replacement, and plates and screws are a few orthopedic prosthetic implants in use today. Although these implants don’t create a new life, they surely improve the quality of life, allowing patients to live without the discomfort that chronic pain, deformities, or injuries bring. Types of Prosthetic Implants and their Uses Orthopedic implants can be permanent, such as replacements of knees, ankles, shoulders, and hips, or temporary, such as screws, pins, and plates, which are used for inserting and fixing implants in the correct position of the body. The most common types of orthopedic prosthetic implants are screws, plates, and prostheses. Table 1. The five basic types of orthopedic plates. Screws. They look similar to the ones found at any hardware store and also serve the same purpose. The screws used during implant surgeries tighten the damaged areas, produce compression, and repair a fractured bone. Plates. In the 1880s, orthopedic plates were used to fix long bone fractures, and since then, these plates have been and remain a successful treatment for fractures or reconstruction. Plates should have a proper thickness, width, and length to hold and support both sides of the fractured bones. There are five basic types of orthopedic plates (see Table 1). Prostheses. Artificial body parts that are used to replace affected areas are counted under prostheses. In some cases, prosthetic materials added with a healthy bone are used to replace any spoiled or damaged bone.

    Below-Grade Waterproofing Market, Having a Strong Growth Foundation

    The below-grade waterproofing market is expected to contract by near 14% in 2020 and then rebound impressively to reach a market size of US$ 1.45 bn by 2025.

    Published: 24 Jun 2020

    One of the most critical elements that decide the life of any structure is the quality and extent of its waterproofing. Though a waterproofing system typically amounts to less than 1% of the total construction cost, it plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and longevity of the structure. Poor focus on waterproofing of a structure can significantly undermine the expenditure incurred on every other aspect of the building. The role played by below-grade waterproofing is even more critical due to the complex infrastructure of modern cities, the time and disruption caused by maintenance and repair far supersede the cost involved in applying below-grade waterproofing. Because of such challenges, it becomes more significant when compared with above-grade, and also because they are exposed to the withering forces of water and corrosion for prolonged periods and with greater intensity. Below-grade waterproofing systems are popularly used in the public infrastructure and construction sector for structures, such as basement slabs, foundations walls, planters, tunnels, bridges, sidewalk vaults, elevator pits, plaza decks, split slabs, sub-structures, and drainage systems. They are an integral part of almost every structure. The global waterproofing market was estimated at around US$ 8.0 billion in 2019, and out of which below-grade waterproofing accounted for a 15% share. The share is expected to increase as more complex structures are the need of the day. Diving Deeper into the Below-Grade Waterproofing Market The touchstone of excellent below-grade waterproofing material is the set of qualities such as- uniform thickness, flexibility, being able to resist the constant hydrostatic pressure, chemical erosion, especially under high groundwater conditions and have a low absorption rate to protect the structures. It is through membranes, that below-grade waterproofing is done. They are subsumed under two categories- Sheet-Based Membrane and Liquid-Coated Membrane. Material: Sheet-based membranes are made of Polymers, Bentonite, and Rubberized Asphalt. Liquid-coated membranes, on the other hand, are made using Bitumen and Cementitious materials. Market Share: Sheet-Based Membranes are more popular with around two-thirds of the share owing to properties like robustness, self-reinforcement, and controlled thickness; there is no need for mixing or specialized equipment either. Growth: Increasing usage of breathable waterproofing membranes and environmentally safe materials are driving the growth of sheet-based below-grade waterproofing market. The selection of the type of sheet and its materials depends on a wide array of factors such as site and soil conditions, water table information, service life, total cost of ownership, and the construction process. Here is a quick material-based analysis: Polymers Largest material segment due to advantages such as lightweight, flexibility, high efficiency, and environmental safety. HDPE (High-density polyethylene), PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), and TPO (Thermoplastic olefin) are the main polymers. Bitumen Is the second largest segment and is highly popular in Europe.          Bentonite-based It is a fast emerging popular material with unique absorbent properties. Sodium bentonite is most commonly used in blind-side waterproofing systems.                                                                   Hybrid Development began with bentonite being combined with HDPE and thermoplastics to obtain high-performance membranes. The failure of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) and Atactic Polypropylene Plastomeric (APP) bitumen to act as a water barrier, led to the development of hybrid membranes. There are four ways in which below-grade waterproofing can be applied and they are: Fluid-Applied: Covered around less than half of the market in 2019, due to high affordability and use of Bitumen. There are three ways in which fluid-application is done: Spray-Applied, Cold-Applied, and Hot-Applied. Self-Adhered: Impressive growth of this segment is due to the qualities like controlled thickness, excellent reliability, excellent chemical resistance, no VOCs, and high crack coverage. Fully bonded: Highly suitable for basement waterproofing as they come in 1-2 meter wide rolls and bond with concrete to prevent lateral water underflow and migration. Loose-laid: Are easy to install and are economical. The Steady and Impressive Growth Dynamics The COVID-19 crisis has upended every industry, without exception. But our estimates foretell a sanguine picture of growth which is expected to rebound in 2021, after a period of growth hiatus in 2020. The below-grade waterproofing market is expected to contract by near 14% in 2020 and then rebound impressively to reach a market size of US$ 1.45 bn by 2025.

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    Tags:

    EU Clean Aviation programme | Composite Battery Casing | Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) | Composites in Aerospace and Defence | PEEK | Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics | Prosthetics | Orthopaedic Composites | Marine Composites | Membrane |

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