Historically, advanced polymer composite technology has been driven primarily by the needs of the military and aerospace industries. However, certain properties of composite materials (e.g., strength, light weight and energy-efficiency) have enabled their emergence in consumer and commercial sectors. As the cost of developing and producing composites has decreased, their role in novel, potentially lucrative applications has increased. This volume is a concise reference book for someone who has just started working in the composites field to gain instant knowledge, as well as to pass contemporary information to technologists already active in the area. Moreover, the succinct, well-structured format of the handbook enables it to be employed as an educational resource. The chapters in Handbook of Composite Fabrication have been written by experts in their fields (the chapter authors are all senior academics/research directors) and so the information on a particular subject area can be regarded as state-of-the-art. Each chapter is fully referenced, illustrated and includes case studies and applications of polymer composite fabrications. Topics covered include:Matrix polymers, reinforcing agents, moulding compounds, centrifugal casting and much more ...