Composite material reinforcement materials. Another important factor is the gross quantity of material to be produced. Large quantities can be used to justify high capital expenditures for rapid and automated manufacturing technology. Small production quantities are accommodated with lower capital expenditures but higher labour and tooling costs at a correspondingly slower rate. Many commercially produced composites use a polymer matrix material often called a resin solution. There are many different polymers available depending upon the starting raw ingredients. There are several broad categories, each with numerous variations. The most common are known as polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, phenolic, polyimide, polyamide, polypropylene, PEEK,
Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research The Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research in Dresden () – in short IPF Dresden – is a non-university research institute and a member of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. The IPF is carrying out fundamental as well as application-oriented research in all areas of polymer science and investigates polymer materials with new or improved characteristics. In the material development, emphasis is given to nanotechnological aspects as well as to biosystem interfaces. The IPF’s research program is jointly set up and implemented by scientists of the different IPF institutes. It comprises the following four research