62 HARDY COMPOSITES
drives in excess ot more than 300 m. The company aims to launch a complete $et of one piece all-composite golf clubs by 1993.
The genesis of the modern vaulting pole is a story of the advances in athletics equipment made possible by com- posites. The bamboo pole of yesteryears made way for Swedish steel till Sergei Bubka of the erstwhile USSR vaulted to global fame using a pole made of aluminium and fibre reinforced plastics. Anglers too have not lagged behind in using composites. Hi-tech fishing rods made glass- phenolic/polyester composites maintain their straightness for a long time.
Composite powerboat
It has been smooth sailing for composite powerboats and yachts. The 1990 classic Parker Enduro Formula 1 powerboat race on the Colorado river was won by a catamaran built with
Araldite matrix system with a carbon fibre fabric. It achieved an average speed of 186 km/hour in America's toughest, powerboat race.
Performance at various races has demonstrated the supe- riority of composite sailboats over those made of convention- al materials. The former can withstand the massive stresses
AT PLAY 63
Merit, the champion composite sailboat
of ocean racing without sustaining structural damage to the hulls, decks or interior structure. In 1989/90 a sail boat named Merit, with an all-composite hull and deck proved that com- posite material structure, together with the right crew and skipper, can result in the fastest sloop ever to sail around the world.
64 HARDY COMPOSITES
AGNES-2DD
Design Research Associates of France have constructed cruising catamarans that feature all-composite structures.
The 25-metre, 40-tonne cruising catamaran is reportedly the largest all-composite craft of its type to have been constructed anywhere. Another French company, the Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie has designed AGNES-200, the largest air-cushion catamaran commissioned anywhere in the world. It is the only one to incorporate a helicopter landing pad and its 51-metre twin hull uses composite structures.
Bull's eye!
AT PLAY 65
Sharp shooters too are opting for composite rifles.
Manufacturers claim that they have perfected the art of gunsmithing with the advanced technology of epoxies to produce a synthetic rifle stock that is far superior to wood stock in performance, handling and durability. Most of the stock reinforcements include fibre glass, aramid and graphite fibres.
Playing sweet music
From guns to hi-tech harps that make sweet music is a jump composites have executed with consummate ease.
Stratline, a French firm, has designed an all-composite struc- ture for harps that look like the 19th century models, but are functionally state-of-the- art. These harps have been patented by the maker and musicians have reportedly found it ap-
66 HARDY COMPOSITES
preciably simpler to adjust. These are also quite strong as compared to the conventional harps with wooden frames.
Guitars too are being fashioned using composite ~ystems.
All composite concert guitars are being played by well known virtuosos such as Alvaro Pierri, Rod olfo Lahoz and Alain Carl Garcia. These all-composite guitars have been based on ex- tensive studies and are characterized by exceptionally clear and resonant sound.
Horsing around
AT PLAY 67
Composites show their mettle on stage too. Not long ago, a production by Pier Luigi Pizzi of Hector Berlioz's "The Trojans" at the Opera de Paris featured a two tonne horse, 12 metres high, 20 metres long and 2.8 metres wide. The enrap- tured audience did not know that this 16 piece structure, that could be assembled on stage, used a glass/ Araldite com- posite to achieve the desired strength to weight ratio.
The luxurious world of composites
Composites, therefore, are here to stay. At work and at play. But at La Tour Rose, a well known luxury hotel and gourmet restaurctnt in Lyon, France, one perhaps under- stands how all encompassing their reach is. At this hotel is a suite that is furnished in an all-composite fashion. The double bed, divan, bedside table, wardrobe, easy chairs, coffee table, TV console, chairs and desk are all made of composite materials.
In comparison with the global composites markets the Indian industry is still in its infancy. Although fibre glass reinforced composites are in vogue in the country the volume
68 HARDY COMPOSITES
for chemical and other industries is small. One of the main drawbacks has been the need to import at high cost the compatibilizers, whose role in the ultimate strength of the composites is crucial. But the recent development of carbon fibre production in the country augers well for the sports goods,' structural engineering parts and biomedical com- ponents in the years to come.
O~
Cladding: The covering of a fuel element in a nuclear reactor to prevent corrosion. It also prevents the escape of fission products.
Cure: To modify or change the properties of a resin by chemical reaction. This is usually accomplished by the action of either heat or a catalyst, or both. The process may be carried out with or without pressure.
Hydrolysis: A reaction between a compound and water. It is the che~ca1 decomposition of a substance by water. The water is also decomposed. The reaction can be expressed as AB
+H20
=A(OH)
+HB (where AB is the compound).
Salts of weak acids, bases or both are partially hydrolyzed in solution.
Polyolefins: Synthetic fibres made of long chain organic polymers. The polymers are formed by joining together a large number of molecules of unsaturated hydrocarbons like ethylene and propylene.
Resistivity: Electrical resistance of a conductor of unit cross-sectional area and unit length. A characteristic property of each material, resistivity is useful in comparing various materials on the basis of their ability to conduct electric currents. High resistivity is characteristic of poor conductors and
vice versa.Roving: I'tconsists of a collection of bundles of continuous filaments either as untwisted strands or as twisted yarn.
Rovings may be lightly twisted, but for filament winding
70 HARDY COMPOSITES