Composites are a combination of components. They are materials made by combining two or more natural or artificial elements (with different physical or chemical properties) that are stronger as a team than as individual players. The component materials don’t completely blend or lose their individual identities; they combine and contribute their most useful traits to improve the outcome or final product. Composites are usually designed with a particular use in mind, such as added strength, efficiency or durability.
For this exercise, I attempted to make a small surface for my computer mouse.
Materials used :
1. Resin
2. Hardener
3. Coloured Sheets
4. Newspapers
5. Jute
6. Weighing Machine
7. Plastic bowl and spatula
8. Thin film cover
9. Two Wooden boards
10. Gloves
Steps followed :
1. Mixing the Resin and Hardener : For making the binding agent, Resin and Hardener were mixed in the ration of 2:1. I used 100 gms of Resin mixed with 50 gms of hardener in the bowl. The weighing of individual components and the resulting mixture was done using the weighing machine. (Note that this is an exothermic reaction and requires to be done while wearing gloves to prevent any burns)
2. Preparing the wooden base : To start making the composite, I covered two wooden boards with thin film. The final composite is sandwiched between these two wooden planks and hence, when it is removed, the film ensures that the composite does not stick to the wooden board and is easily detached.
3. Making the composite : Using one wooden board covered with film as a base, I started making the composite using different materials such as : colored sheets, newspapers and jute. I started off by using blue colored sheet as first layer. Using spatula, I applied the resin-hardener mixture. The first layer was followed by a jute layer, followed by a newspaper layer. This layereing was done 3 times and finally the upper layer was a purple colored paper. This entire composite was then covered with a wooden board and put under pressure so that the layers stick to one another.
It takes almost 24 hours for the perfect composite to come out. The final result after lazer cutting is shown below :
That's all for now. Thank You!