Present and future of composite in Spain

The composites sector has experienced unstoppable growth since 2006 in various industrial sectors in Spain, including, of course, construction. Already in 2014, growth forecasts were 15% to 20% in industry, and forecasts at the time pointed to a fourfold increase in its use in sectors such as aeronautics. This was reported by the newspaper El País (August 4, 2014) in its economics section, where it announced an upcoming boom in the use of this type of material. Well, the results have exceeded expectations, and today composites are a present with a broad future of constant growth. In fact, as early as 2017, stable annual growth of 5% was predicted for the coming years, following the previous boom.

Inherent qualities that drive the development of composite materials.

We have generally attributed the reasons for this expansion to the fact that composites provided an excellent response to what are known as the three Es: Economy, efficiency, and elegance, but today many other aspects have been added to their long list of advantages.

The benefits they represent for the environment and ecology do not go unnoticed at a time when there is widespread awareness and activism in all countries to achieve short- and medium-term goals that improve energy efficiency and preserve natural resources. Composites thus promote sustainable industrial and construction processes.

Another factor that has the greatest influence is the constant innovation and improvement of materials. R&D is inextricably linked to the industrial composite sector. Today, work is primarily focused on research and testing on the bonding of carbon fiber and fiberglass using polymeric materials and resins, what we know as FRP or Fiber Reinforced Polymers. New and modern processes are being developed, such as RTM, Resign Transfer Molding, high-thickness infusion, Hand Lay-Up, and pultrusion. Progress is also being made in testing new materials such as graphene, which far exceeds the hardness and properties of steel and is even more flexible and lighter than carbon fiber.

In this way, more flexible, lighter, and more resistant materials are continually being achieved, enhancing their specific qualities and adding the desired values ​​for their purposes, such as insulation, structural capacity, mechanical strength, electromagnetic transparency, ultraviolet light filters, durability, corrosion resistance, and recycling properties.

In this way, we are moving toward an industry that transcends the mere transformation of natural raw materials to create its own perfected material. Once developed, it only needs to be applied to the creation of specific products that meet the proposed objectives.

Lightness, precision, elasticity, special physical qualities… These are all attributes of these composite materials that facilitate the mass production of parts, assembly on manufacturing lines, or on-site assembly. Likewise, they facilitate a design perfectly tailored to their objectives.

External circumstances favor their expansion into all sectors

We have already mentioned one of the main drivers of industry today: environmental protection. And it is precisely as a result of this common goal across all industries that important innovations and market shifts are taking place, favoring the demand for composite materials.

A clear example of this is the strong development of electric cars in the automotive industry. These vehicles require lighter and more resistant materials and find in FRP the optimal solution.

Other factors, such as the need to reduce specialized labor or simplify assembly with products that incorporate in a single product what previously had to be achieved by several, directly impact costs, competitiveness, and efficiency.

Where are composites headed?

All experts agree that composites are the material of the present and the future. Their application, in addition to traditional sectors such as construction, the aeronautical industry, transportation, and energy, is increasingly extending to all types of industries, and these materials are present in the manufacture of products as diverse as drones, mobile phones and computers, medical prosthetics, the development of exoskeletons with multiple applications, and the manufacture of X-ray equipment.

This clearly unstoppable growth suggests that composites will almost completely replace products developed from natural raw materials, such as wood, stone, iron, and steel. The only challenge ahead is to provide profitable and definitive solutions for recycling and the possibility of achieving zero waste.