Composites have been revolutionizing materials science and engineering for over the past 50 years, but their origins go back much earlier: from the mummies in ancient Egypt, to the waste-cotton filled Bakelite radios and telephones at the beginning of the 20th century and then the first composite airplane components of the 1930’s. However, applications really exploded after the invention of carbon fibres in 1959 and the first large-scale commercial production of this revolutionary material a decade later. The History of Composites: A Technological Evolution introduces the reader to key milestones in the discovery and technological development of composite materials, including their processes and applications. In the first part of the book, a general history of composites is presented. Professor Ignaas Verpoest gives a “bird’s eye view” that surveys the first traces of the basic concept of composites from ancient times, right through to the crucial inventions of glass fibres and manmade plastics in the 1930’s. He then moves on to explore the revolution of carbon fibres and their nano-descendants graphene and carbon nanotubes. In the second part of the book, there is a series of shorter contributions from leading international experts currently working in this field that discuss specific topics in detail. These chapters analyze the dynamics of these innovations and illustrate how fundamental discoveries have led to the creation of new products or have drastically improved existing ones. By presenting these fundamental discoveries, the authors hope to inspire both researchers and engineers in their quest to develop further innovations in composite materials in the future, including both their processes and applications.

• Provides an overview of the history of composites from ancient times to the present time
• Comprehensive breadth of topics covered including history, materials, processes, applications, experimental characterization, and theoretical aspects Multiple examples of applications, e.g., aircrafts (military and civil), wind energy, automotive, sports, construction, and architecture as well as arts and design
• Presents both international breakthroughs and global perspectives