Significant of NASRDA’s composites aerospace applications conference

By Musa Wada

Timing of this conference is indeed apt and of utmost importance to our nation’s quest for industrial and technological developments.

The organizing agency, the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, must be commended in this regard.

Today, many of our developmental enthusiast, are indeed happy that the new ways of doing things at the agency has indeed paved a pragmatic and systematic method of enhancing our development.

This development is been discussed.Theme of the conference is very important at this time because in terms of the development of advanced and specialized materials,with technical difficulties such as composite materials, science and engineering are making big progress in aerospace and industrial engineering.

Advances in material science have allowed the production of materials for this engineering which is AEROSPACE engineering, while materials are still used in the construction of aerospace structures, especially in science and composite technology.composite materials such as rockets, engine castings, random, stabilizers, antennas, dishes, pressure bulkheads, and many more have been used in the aerospace industry for secondary and primary structural components.

ln other hand, composite materials is currently becoming significant in aerospace engineering due to it’s increased strength at lower weight stiffness, and corrosion resistance.

In this vein,the topic of this important conference is apt, because it has the potential of exploring the composites materials used in new area’s for future use and examines the advanced composites as structural materials in our country.

Progressive growth in this area enables it to be easily implemented in our country.

The business hub of any society in the developing country like Nigeria are characterized by constantly growing population which is a direct result of industrialization and urbanization.

This growth often necessitates infrastructural developments (better, safer,faster, and cheaper of transportation of goods and services).

High energy demands and environmental decay(high omission of carbondioxide co2)into the atmosphere leading global warming.

In other to resolve the problems, there is a need to develop improved light weight polymeric composite materials, which can be used in construction and transportation industries.

This important conference would focus on developing natural fibre reinforced recycled polypropylene (PP)nanocomposites.This fibre,for example,was treated with 5percent alkaline solution for 2hours at 60.0C in a vacuum oven.The fibre(10,20,30,and 40percent wt), nanoclay (1,3,5percent wt)and compatibilizer were melt blend with the recycled PP.

Based on the results,it was observed that fibre treatment,increasing fibre contents and nano particles increases the overall strength and thermal stability of the prepared composites.The rate of moisture absorption was equally enhanced.

The material developed for example can be used to produce seats and backrest for passengers train and other interior parts of the passengers train.This is an example of the model the conference is talking about and that is why it is apt.

The conference is important at this time in our developmental journey because it would encourage synergy among composites stakeholders in the country capable of sending results to the nation’s academic status in aerospace and allied industries.

The collaboration can also contribute to the body of knowledge capable to demonstrate visible products for patentiing and commercialization.It is therefore necessary that this conference call for more funding concerning composite development in the country so that other countries will not leave us behind.

Composite is so important in our world today because it means combination of different materials mixed under a defined ratio and temperature to stand the test of time as exemplified earlier.

This can also be done through reinforcement by polymer or binder.Recent development in composite have the involvement of the private sector and has led to efforts in automobile and aircraft developments.

The National advanced space composite laboratory(ASCO),which is a merger of efforts of universities,polytechnic, Private inventors and developers was acheived to form a national body that would be able to pursue a process and resourcing of different products in composite.

This is a frontline of taking Nigeria away from engineering/technological products consuming nation to stakeholders in development,productions to composite materials for our aerospace,automobile, Marine, biomedical and across general construction.

The conference is also geared towards proffessionalism but helping out In developing a national policy,and when there is a national policy,there is a guideline and roadmap to which a really room is created for all participants:be it academics,private or natural inventors,taking it from experiments base to product level including mass production of composites.

The laboratory therefore needs adequate funding which is a rallying point for the academia and private sector to develope home use, orbit based and sky products of composites in all manner of areas of it’s able use,more so,since Composite resist corrosion, oxidation and weather.

Wada is an Abuja based public analyst