High-strength pultruded thermoplastic composites made of new raw material

Skoltech researchers have enhanced pultrusion—a technology used to produce fiber-reinforced polymers of constant cross-section—profiles. These are light and stiff composite materials made of plastic and glass or carbon fibers. They do not rust, can be welded, are suitable for recycling, and could someday replace steel and aluminum in civil engineering, marine construction, and elsewhere. For now, they are mostly produced and examined in scientific laboratories. The findings of the study, which featured students from the Letovo boarding school for gifted children, are reported in Composites Communications.