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Sustainable Composite Materials
Composites
Composite materials are a versatile and widely used class of materials
finding increasing use in many diverse applications ranging from aerospace
to construction.
Sustainable composites
Sustainable composites are materials that have minimal impact upon the
environment. Ideally, "sustainable composites" should utilise
renewable raw materials of a sustainable origin, be manufactured by methods
that cause as little environmental impact as possible and at the end of
the product life should biodegrade. Typically, sustainable composites
would be manufactured using a 'reinforcement' of renewable annual fibre
crops such as flax, hemp or jute bound together with an organic or inorganic
'matrix'. Ideally, the matrix will be manufactured from sustainable resources.
Such materials are sometimes referred to as "bio-composites",
"eco-composites" or "green" composites. Alternative
approaches to sustainability in composites include materials that are
readily recyclable.
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