Braiding is a very old textile manufacturing technology that traditionally has been used to produce items like ropes, shoe laces, and cables. Recently, braiding has gained attention in the medical, aerospace, transportation, and civil engineering communities, among others, due to its ability to produce structures that can fulfill the explicit deman

Textile composites encompass a rather narrow range of materials, based on three-dimensional reinforcements produced using specialist equipment. This book describes the design, manufacture and applications of textile composites. The intention is to describe the broad range of polymer composite materials with textile reinforcements, from woven and non-crimp commodity fabrics to 3-D textiles and their applications. The book gives particular attention to the modelling of textile structures, composites manufacturing methods, and subsequent component performance. This practical book is an invaluable guide for manufacturers of polymer composite components, end-users and designers, structural materials researchers, and textile manufacturers involved in the development of new products with textile composites.

This book focuses on the fibers and textiles used in composite materials. It presents both existing technologies currently used in commercial applications and the latest advanced research and developments. It also discusses the different fiber forms and architectures, such as short fibers, unidirectional tows, directionally oriented structures or advanced 2D- and 3D-textile structures that are used in composite materials. In addition, it examines various synthetic, natural and metallic fibers that are used to reinforce polymeric, cementitious and metallic matrices, as well as fiber properties, special functionalities, manufacturing processes, and composite processing and properties. Two entire chapters are dedicated to advanced nanofiber and nanotube reinforced composite materials. The book goes on to highlight different surface treatments and finishes that are applied to improve fiber/matrix interfaces and other essential composite properties. Although a great deal of information about fibers and textile structures used for composite applications is already available, this is the only book currently available that discusses all types of fibers and structures used to reinforce polymers, cement, metal or soil to improve their general performance and multi-functional behaviors. As such, it fills an important gap in the available literature and provides a valuable resource for a wide range of students and researchers from academia and industry.

The results of an assessment of the state-of-the-art in the design and manufacturing of large composite structures are described. The focus of the assessment is on the use of polymeric matrix composite materials for large airframe structural components, such as those in commercial and military aircraft and space transportation vehicles. Applications of composite materials for large commercial transport aircraft, general aviation aircraft, rotorcraft, military aircraft, and unmanned rocket launch vehicles are reviewed. The results of the assessment of the state-of-the-art include a summary of lessons learned, examples of current practice, and an assessment of advanced technologies under development.