Introduction

For thousands of years, men have been using natural composite materials. Materials such as wood (a polymer-polymer composite ƒ†‡‘ˆ…‡ŽŽ—Ž‘•‡ϐ‹„‡”•‹ƒŽ‹‰‹ȀŠ‡‹Ǧ…‡ŽŽ—Ž‘•‡ƒ–”‹šȌǡ„‘‡ȋƒ ’‘Ž›‡”Ȃ…‡”ƒ‹……‘’‘•‹–‡ƒ†‡‘ˆŠ›†”‘š›ƒ’ƒ–‹–‡”‡‹ˆ‘”…‡†™‹–Š …‘ŽŽƒ‰‡ϐ‹„‡”•Ȍǡ–‡‡–Šǡƒ†‹˜‘”›ƒ”‡ƒ–—”ƒŽ…‘’‘•‹–‡•Ǥƒ…‹‡– Egypt, more than 5000 years ago, brick makers added short lengths ‘ˆ•–”ƒ™–‘‹Ž‡—†‹š‡†™‹–Š•ƒ†ƒ†™ƒ–‡”ǡ‹‘”†‡”–‘‹’”‘˜‡ –Š‡‡…Šƒ‹…ƒŽ ’”‘’‡”–‹‡• ‘ˆ –Š‡ „”‹…•Ǥ ‡•‘’‘–ƒ‹ƒ –‘‘ǡ –Š‹• combination of materials was employed to make tubes designed for the transportation of water. ƒ”‡•’‘•‡–‘–Š‡‡˜‡”‹…”‡ƒ•‹‰†‡ƒ†•’Žƒ…‡†„›•‘…‹‡–› ‘‡˜‡”›†ƒ›ƒ–‡”‹ƒŽ•ǡ‘†‡”Ǧ†ƒ›ƒ–‡”‹ƒŽ•…‹‡–‹•–•Šƒ˜‡–—”‡† –‘–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆengineered (man-made) composite materials.1