A future problem, which has not been sufficiently addressed, is that of the fumes and smoke that are generated when the composite material is burned. The composite material is a great human achievement in materials science; however, as we use this material in more and more places, we must be acutely aware of the risks and possible consequences of its use. One risk is that many types of compounds give off poisonous gaseous compounds such as cyanide gas. Not all composite materials will do this, but some will.
Composite material has been a godsend for the aerospace industry, as the material is light and very strong. Boeing announced its prospective hope of selling 200 7E7 aircraft in calendar year 2005. As early as December 2004, Japan Airlines committed to ordering 50 Boeing 7E7 aircraft. Boeing also recently received a commitment from Continental Airlines for billions of dollars in aircraft purchases between now and 2009 to secure a special price. The 7E7 is just over half composite material and is the first airliner to contain that much composite material. Boeing, through economies of scale, is determining ways in which robots build the composite material to reduce labor costs and eliminate human error while standardizing perfect, flawless manufacturing with less than one variation of a thousandth of an inch. This will allow for a rivetless aircraft, thousands of pounds saved and an unrivaled smooth surface for an absolute advantage in laminar airflows and parasitic drag reduction. Such precision has never before been achieved.
Composite material has also been used in pipes due to its ability to go from hot to cold without the large expansion and compression that exists with metallic pipes. With the right UV protection coatings, it’s the perfect material for this kind of thing. Boat hulls and boats with composite parts can also be great advantages and not have the corrosion problems that occur in salt water. Shipping companies with composite component ships will find that their maintenance costs are reduced for corrosion control and the useful life of the ships will be increased. Metal fatigue won’t be a problem either. Composite built cars will be stronger and lighter therefore safer, longer lasting, longer lasting, with better performance and better fuel consumption. Bridges, structures, towers, antennas, and buildings are all good uses of composite materials and are often favored in the modern period. Skateboards, sports equipment, Mars Rovers, street signs and flag poles can benefit from the characteristics of the composite material. The compound can also be manufactured on robotic assembly lines. The compound comes without the high costs of extracting iron ore or precious metals.
Composite is a great material and it really makes a lot of sense, but what about its other characteristics when burned? What happens when a high performance lightweight 7E7 goes off the end of a runway and catches fire? What happens when a pipe breaks? Sure there will be less chance of sparks with such material, but what do you do when there are? For example, the landing gear hits a fence and jet fuel seeps into the hot engines? Will the passengers be safe once the fire starts emitting poisonous gases? What about a pipe made of composite material, which is ruptured by an attack by international terrorists? What about a car accident with another car or truck with a sparking steel bumper or battery cable running into a ruptured fuel line? Cars in accidents don’t usually burn to the ground, but it does happen. Any attempt to rescue victims could result in death from cyanide gas, first responders will need to dress prior to rescue, increasing the critical time period for saving occupants. No one knows this better than the firefighters at the US Military Airport who are trained for such things. The military has learned the hard way that the new composite materials, while with all their advantages, also have some serious and potentially fatal characteristics. Composite ships have incredible advantages for service life and maintenance costs, but a fire on board would be difficult to fight and, if it got out of control, could be lethal to everyone on board.
We need to study how to use materials science to prevent toxins produced by burning compounds. It is necessary to have a solution that can be mixed with the material during fabrication and coated in the hardening process along with special ceramic coatings after fabrication approximately 1 to 4 mils thick for items that must have Consider weight as a primary factor. target and 10-12 Mils thick for things such as automobiles, railings, decks, boat interiors, etc. For things like railcars and pipes where the weight is pretty negligible, I suggest 10-20 mils of ceramic coating on all sides of the material, interior and exterior surfaces. By doing this, we can avoid unintended consequences when struck by Mother Nature, Murphy, bad luck, or even the hassle of international terrorists. Funding should be provided to universities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas that currently have materials science degrees available so that we can stay ahead and cover all bases. This research needs to be funded by the DOE, DARPA and DOT, we need to accelerate this sector now to keep up with the advances and needs that we will see in the next five years. We must look at the manufacturing, the coatings, the useful life of the compound and all the possible variations of the composite material. I propose that this be done to take us to the next step as we secure;
“Strength and Security now and always.”