Recent Advances on Smart Lightweight Carbon Fiber/Aluminum Hybrid Composite Structures

Due to the growing demand for lightweight materials in different industries, the selection and hybridization of engineering fibers and metals is becoming a promising solution as it combines the outstanding mechanical, thermal, and weathering-resistance properties from both materials. Due to their lightweight and strong mechanical properties, carbon fiber/aluminum hybrid composite-based structures have become the most dominant materials used by engineers and researchers in the recent two decades. In the present chapter, the recent development on the processing techniques and mechanical performances of these hybrid structures are reviewed in detail. In addition, the applications of these kinds of structural materials in the various industrial sectors including, automobile, aerospace, design of industrial robots, and fire protection are summarized.