Composite materials are formed by combining at least two different materials on a macroscopic scale to produce a new resultant material with properties that are a blend of the component material properties. “Composites” is a broad term referring to a wide range of materials, but as used in this guide, the term refers to fiber reinforced polymer composites, specifically carbon fiber, glass fiber, and aramid fiber combined with epoxy.

Aerospace composites are a subset of composite materials that are suitable for use in aircraft and spacecraft applications. What differentiates aerospace composites from the rest of the field of composite materials is the strength and quality standards of aerospace composite materials as well as regimented procedures used to design, manufacture, and test aerospace composite structures. Additionally, the material properties and process variables of aerospace composites are quantified and tightly controlled. Although the focus in this course is primarily on aircraft applications, the information and techniques described could just as well be applied to other high performance structures in race cars, sailboats, electric vehicles, or spacecraft.

Link to Course Terminology