ABSTRACT
This first chapter will summarize the development of common composites as well as their commercial applications and processes. Composites have become the wave of the future because their properties and processes can be varied widely by selecting the type of matrix material, the type of reinforcement, the fiber orientation, and the percent of reinforcement to optimize their properties. Both thermoset and thermoplastic polymers are important in composites. The author also goes into a preliminary discussion of various manufacturing processes used to make composite products.
