COMPOSITF materials, especially metal matrix composite
materials are possible substitutes for metals in use today. However, because they can possess extremely high strengths, moduli and excellent high temperature prop-erties they may be employed most profitably in applicat-ions which do not presently exist,since no present mat-erial has the required capabilities.In addition, their present high cost and very early stage of development
make them unlikely candidates for materials substitut-
ion in the context of this meeting. This paper is orie-nted more towards the development of composite materials for aerospace structures