Polymer-Matrix Composites

Viewpoints Archive


	2006
Dec/Jan -		2006: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2007
November -		Corrosion-Resistant Pipes and Tanks
October -		From Agricultural Feedstocks to High-Performance Polymers
September -		SMC and BMC Use in Automobiles and Trucks
August -		An Overview of the Global Composites Market More Microjets
July -		Microjects: An Update
June -		Composite Use in Airplanes: Value Chain and Commercial Opportunities New Technology Area: Connected Homes
May -		Ascending: An Overview of Composite Use in Airplanes
April -		Hovering: An Overview of Composite Use in Helicopters
March -		Blue Skies for Wind Energy
February -		Current and Future Use of Composites in Automobiles

	2005	Download all 2005 Viewpoints (PDF)
Dec/Jan -		2005: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2006
November -		Nose Job: Composite Use in High-Speed Trains
October -		Air Taxis: Almost Ready for Takeoff
September -		Self-Reinforced Polypropylene: A Recyclable Composite
August -		Composite Use in the Airbus A380
July -		The Boeing 787: All New, Half Composite
June -		A New Thermoplastic Matrix: Cyclic Polybutylene Terephthalate
May -		Trends in Wind Energy and Implications for Polymer-Matrix Composites
April -		Wind Energy: A Growth Market for Polymer-Matrix Composites
March -		Recycling Thermoset Composites
February -		Long-Fiber–Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites

	2004	Download all 2004 Viewpoints (PDF)
Dec/Jan -		2004: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2005
November -		Fiber Producers Will Expand Capacity Recent Developments: Borden Chemical Will Acquire Bakelite GmbH
October -		Recent Developments: New Composite Centers and Networks Emerge • ACMA Unveils Industry Logo • Composite Power Cables See Commercialization
September -		Self-Repairing Polymer Composites
August -		Environmental and Health Impacts of Nanomaterials
July -		Developments in Carbon-Nanotube–Reinforced Composites
June -		Recent Developments: Boeing Selects Toray's Carbon Fibers • TWI Develops New Composite-Metal Joining Process
May -		Recent Developments: PMC Players Embrace Composites Brand • Toyota Tests DuPont's Recycling Technology Market Development: JEC Presents Composites Market Survey
April -		Robotics and the Composites Industry
March -		PMC Power-Transmission Cables
February -		Resin Price Increases Recent Developments: Recycled Composites on the Up

	2003	Download all 2003 Viewpoints (PDF)
Dec/Jan -		2003: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2004
November -		Recent Developments: Composites Data on the Internet • PMC Utility Power Poles Market Development: Continuous-Fiber–Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites Announcement: Next Generation Technologies
October -		Recent Developments: Structural-Monitoring Developments • Chicken-Feather and Soybean-Oil Composites • Bombproof Bin Liners
September -		Recent Developments: Wind-Energy Developments • GM's Carbon-Fiber–Composite Hood
August -		Developments at Owens Corning Recent Developments: Fiber-Optic Sensor for Structural-Monitoring Applications
July -		Composites for Airbus and Boeing
June -		European Developments in Recycling Polymer-Matrix Composites
May -		Areas to Monitor: Industry Association to Explore the Fire Performance of PMCs Market Development: Saint Gobain Provides Its View about the Glass-Fiber–Reinforcement Market • Hexcel Suffers from Commercial Aerospace Downturn in 2002, but Sales Begin to Improve in 2003
April -		Recent Developments: A Bioplastic Composite • Carbon-Nanotube Composites • Polymer-Matrix–Composite Design Software
March -		Carbon-Fiber Market Uncertainty
February -		Natural-Fiber Composites

	2002	Download Aug.–Dec. 2002 Viewpoints (PDF)
Dec/Jan -		2002: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2003
November -		Recent Developments: Owens Corning Supports Wind-Energy Market • U.S. Plastic Corp. Will Supply 10 000 Railroad Ties • Conoco Cevolution Completes Carbon-Fiber Plant Construction • PMC Players Extend Their Capabilities
October -		Recent Developments: CTD Develops an Elastic Memory Composite • Are Cheaper Carbon-Carbon Composites on the Way? Players: Owens Corning Announces Distribution Agreement
September -		Recent Developments: Demonstration Bridge Installation in Vermont • PYRAmatrix to Develop Taller and LIghter Wind-Turbine Towers Areas to Monitor: Steel-Fiber–Reinforced Polymer Composites
August -		Recent Developments: A GFRP Ready-Mix Concrete Drum • Plastic Car Bodies on the Road • Production of Curv
July -		Recent Developments: Composite Bumpers to the Fore • High-Strength Carbon Fiber for $3 per Pound • High Expectation for PMC Building Components in Europe • PMCs Commercialized for Proton-Exchange–Membrane Fuel Cells
June -		The Carbon-Fiber Market Explorer Announcement
May -		Recent Developments: Callaway Introduces a New CFRP Golf Driver • DaimlerChrysler Joins the Trend towards the CFRP Car Body • Quadruple Magnetics Expands Applications for Its QR Technique • PMCs Fly High on Airbus's Success • PMC Will Replace Titanium Fan Blades in Jet Engines • U.S. Pitch-Based Carbon Fiber Producers Make Changes
April -		Recent Developments: Big Wind for Wind Turbines • PMC Player Activity Areas to Monitor: Long-Fiber Thermoplastics
March -		Graphite Matrices for Heat Sink Applications Recent Developments: PMC for the Military
February -		Recent Developments: A Self-Reinforced Composite • Cockpit Doors Reinforced with Spectra • A Step Forward in PMC Standardization • A Short-Lived Monopoly for Pitch-Based Carbon Fiber

	2001
Dec/Jan -		2001: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2002
November -		Recent Developments: A Carbon-Fiber Flute • Camels of PMC • The Ambiente House of PMC • The TER-Centrifuging Process
October -		Recent Developments: Zoltek's Big Gamble • The Devil in the Details • Blue Cement • PMC Armor
September -		The Composites' Green Problem
August -		Recent Developments: A Composite of Tungsten and Plastics to Replace Lead • Triple Earning Power for Glass-Fiber–Reinforced Plastic • A Graphite Foam
July -		Recent Developments: Production Rollers of CFRP: An Unglamorous Yet Promising Application for PMC • Improved Sheet-Molding Compound from GM • Faster Curing Process for PMC • A Green Reinforcement Fiber • Two Mundane Uses of Kevlar
June -		Recent Developments: A Charter for a Voluntary Code of Practice within the European Pultrusion Industry • Learning from the Aerospace Industry • Reducing Component Numbers through PMC • Self-Healing Composites • U.K. Armored PMC Vehicle
May -		A Car with a Body of Carbon-Reinforced Fiber by 2005 Recent Developments: PMC for Proton Fuel Cells • Progress with the Interstate 5 Gilman Drive Composite Bridge
April -		Recent Developments: An Impact-Absorbing Utility Pole • Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete Bridges • Crutches of PMC • Metal Heat Sinks with Carbon Fibers
March -		Carbon Nanotubes for PMC Recent Developments: A Horseshoe of PMC
February -		Recent Developments: Structural Retrofits with PMC • Underhood Applications of SMC • PMCs in Weaponry • A Technical Breakthrough for Tubular Fabrics

	2000
Dec/Jan -		2000: The Year in Review
November -		PMCs in Wind Turbines • The IsoTruss Concept
October -		The All-Plastic Car Recent Developments: Natural Fibers Replacing Glass Fibers in PMC
September -		Recent Developments: University Bridges of PMC • Girders of PMC • Zoltek's Strategy Off to a Slow Beginning • A PMC Handle for Basebal Bats
August -		PMC as a Building Material Recent Developments: Finalists for Gilman Advanced Technology Bridge
July -		Carbon-Carbon Composites Recent Developments: Zoltek • Progress on the San Diego Advanced Technology Bridge
June -		Recent Developments: PMC Use in U.S. Autos • Structural Retrofitting with Water-Curable Resins • A New Pultrusion Process
May -		Titanium Metal-Matrix Composites Recent Developments: Carbon-Fiber Ammunition • A Metal-Composite Bicycle Crankshaft • A Smart-Fiber Mast for Yachts
April -		Recent Developments: Brunswick Technology's Innovative Fiber Mats • Water Pipes from PMC • Carbon Fibers for DaimlerChrysler's Premier Sports Car • A Protective Shield of Kevlar
March -		Recent Developments: Competition for a Major Potential Market of PMC • PMC Piles for Waterfronts • Composite Materials with Built-In Fibers • An SMC Hardtop for DaimlerChrysler's Jeep • Conoco's New Carbon-Fiber Plant
February -		Recent Developments: Beams of Gluelams and Fiber-Reinforced Gluelams • Zoltek's Twofold Expansion • Musical Instruments Made of PMC

	1999
Dec/Jan -		1999: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 2000
November -		Cheaper Electricity through PMC
October -		Carbon Fibers and Fiberglass
September -		The Technology of Bridge Construction with PMCs Recent Developments: 2.5-m Pultruded Bridge Decks
August -		Explorer Technology Charts
*Before August 1999, the Explorer service was called TechMonitoring, and Viewpoints* were TechLinks.**
July -		PMC as a Corrosion-Resistant Building Material
June -		The Technology of PMC Retrofits
May -		Recent Developments: Novelties from BAU99 in Munich • Price Fixing of Carbon Fibers in the United States • Railroad Cross Ties of PMC • A Tighter Bond between Fibers and Polymer Matrix • A Center for Lightweight Auto Materials
April -		PMC's Burden on the Environment Recent Developments: The World's Largest Installation of Carbon-Fiber Reinforcement in Strengthening Structural Concrete • A New Heavy-Tow Carbon Fiber from Toray
March -		Recent Developments: High-Strength PMC from Nanotubes • Growth of PMC in Automotive Use • Phillips's New Resin to Resist Outgassing at High Temperatures • PMC for Oil Drilling at Ultradeep Water Levels • PMC for Heat Sinks in Space • Rocket Technology for Pipelines
February -		Recent Developments: XXsys's Composite Wraps • Composite Highway Lamps • PMC Automobile Chassis for the United States • The Zeppelin • Refrigerated Rail Car of PMC • PMCs for Eurofighter from Hexcel's

	1998
Dec/Jan -		1998: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 1999
November -		Producing Lighter and Stronger Airplanes
October -		The Era of PMC: Reinforced Bridges to Begin
September -		Recent Developments: Canadian Bridge Has PMC Reinforcements • United States Navy Solicits Proposals for PMC Enforced Piers • Axson of France Establishes Headquarters in the United States • BMW Uses Delrin with Kevlar Fiber for Door Check • PMC Offers Limitless Design Possibilities
August -		Opportunities for PMCs to Replace Steel and Reinforced Concrete in the Construction Industry
July -		Recent Developments: Demand for and Production Capacity of Carbon Fiber is Up • Inventors Propose Fast-Turning Casters of Carbon-Fiber Epoxies • PMCs Function as Conductive Building Blocks • The Competition Never Sleeps
June -		Recent Developments: A Composite-Derived Autonomous Underwater Vehicle • Transforming Utility Poles • Pushing for Composite Demonstration Projects
May -		Nondestructive Composite Test and Evaluation: Designs from NASA
April -		A Second Look at the Composite Automotive Frame
March -		Progress toward the Composite Vehicle Structure
February -		Continuing the Move toward Collaborative Efforts

	1997
Dec/Jan -		1997: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 1998
November -		Recent Developments: The End of a Composite Joint Venture • A Knowledge System for Concrete and Composites • Standardizing Composite Lumber Test Methods
October -		Recent Developments: Composites and Aircraft Construction/Repair • Rapid Composite Testing • Development of Self-Repairing Composites
September -		Smart Structures Update
August -		The Caltrans Seismic Safety Retrofit Program
July -		Recent Developments: An Improvement on SCRIMP • A Threat to U.S. Government-Funded Composite Research • XXsys Technologies in Western Retrofit Markets • Entering the European Lighting Market • Petitioning for Increased FRP Approval
June -		Recent Developments: Government-Industry Team Produces Composites Handbook • A Consortium Focuses on Bridge Design • Researchers Are Smart Testing Composite Structures
May -		A Shakeup in the North American Composites Market
April -		A Second Look at Composite Bridges: Components and Structures
March -		Heading for the Future
February -		Building a Bridge to the Future

	1996
Dec/Jan -		1996: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 1997
November -		New Opportunities for Composites Research and Development
October -		New Composite Structure for Satellites • A Novel Bicycle Design • Toyota to Adopt German Engineering Composite • Stealth Technology to Enter Mainstream Use
September -		Another Look At Composites Recycling
August -		Low-Cost Composite Manufacturing for Aircraft • Three New Fiber Systems
July -		The Caltrans Composite Evaluation Program
June -		Vision for the Plastics and Composites Industry
May -		A Different Look at Smart Structures
April -		Blurring the Boundaries Between Polymer and Ceramic Composites
March -		A Government Agency's Perspective on Composites in the Construction Industry
February -		An Engineer's Perspective on Composites in the Construction Industry
Dec/Jan -		1995: The Year in Review Look for These Developments in 1996