The Essentials of Composite Materials: A Guide for Engineering and Beyond

by Germán A. Pacheco

Overview

The Essentials of Composite Materials: A Guide for Engineering and Beyond combines the theory of composite materials and their applications, with a focus on the main industries where they are used. Using the author’s experience as a naval architect, boat builder, and composites designer, this book offers a guide to the selection of the most appropriate production processes, procedures, and materials for a particular project. It comprehensively covers polymer matrix composites, explaining what composite materials are, their components, and what they can be used for.

• Combines theoretical material with practical examples in a uniquely accessible way.

• Explores fabric structures, materials, resins, procedures, and manufacturing processes, including details that can only be discovered through hands-on work.

• Covers the more analytical side, explaining classical laminate plate theory, composite systems, strength, and failure criteria.

• Discusses applications in automotive, aerospace, civil, medical device, and naval industries.

This text serves as a practical tool for readers working in the composite fields as well as those looking to enter it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040417652
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	09/23/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216

About the Author

Germán A. Pacheco is a naval architect/yacht designer and composite technician with more than 15 years’ experience in the field. He studied Naval Architecture at the National University of Quilmes, Argentina. He currently lives in Australia where he works for a leading Australian design company specialising in design and construction solutions for ferries, catamarans, patrol boats, and cargo ships.

Table of Contents

0. Front Matter. 1. What Exactly Is A Composite Material?. 2. Polymer Matrix Composites. 3. Fillers or Type of Reinforcements. 4. Role of Fibres and the Matrix. 5. Materials Categories. 6. Material Types. 7. Composite Material Application Field. 8. Advantages and Disadvantages of PMC’s. 9. Materials Used in the Naval Industry. 10. Reinforcing Materials Design. 11. Fabric Structures. 12. Thermoset Matrices. 13. High Performance Thermoplastic Matrices. 14. Material Selection. 15. Manufacturing Methods. 16. Factors to be Considered in the Manufacturing Process Selection. 17. Composite Product Design. 18. Fibre to Resin Ratio. 19. Critical Variables During the Process Development in Composite Materials. 20. Thermosetting Materials During Curing Process. 21. Glass Transition Temperature. 22. Solid Polymer Laminate. 23. Composite Systems. 24. Laminated Composite Plates Analysis. 25. Classical Laminate Theory (CLT). 26. Laminate. 27. Introduction to Failure Criteria. 28. Laminate Sandwich Panels. 29. Nomenclature. 30. Composite Recycling. 31. New Technologies applied into Composite Materials. 32. The Introduction of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Into Composite Materials.