Development and application of advanced textile composites

Three-dimensional fibre-reinforced polymer composites made by the textile processes of weaving, braiding, stitching and knitting have tremendous potential for improving the performance of composite structures and reducing their cost of manufacture. Current applications of three-dimensional composites are described, including examples in the aerospace, maritime, automotive, civil infrastructure and biomedical fields. However, to date the use of three-dimensional textile composites has not been exploited for many potential applications, and some of the issues impeding the widespread use of three-dimensional textile composites are identified.