Futuristic car chassis made of carbon fiber absorbing crash energy.

Crash Course: How Composites are Changing Car Safety

Kai Mendoza in Tech & Innovation June 2025 • 4 min read.

"From race tracks to highways, the future of vehicle safety is being shaped by advanced composite materials."

For decades, automotive engineers have sought the holy grail of vehicle safety: a structure that is both lightweight and capable of absorbing tremendous amounts of energy in a crash. Traditional materials like steel, while strong, add significant weight, reducing fuel efficiency and handling. The quest for lighter, stronger materials has led to the rise of advanced composites, particularly carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and aluminum alloys.

These materials offer a unique combination of properties. They're significantly lighter than steel, which improves fuel economy and performance. More importantly, they can be engineered to absorb significantly more energy upon impact, potentially reducing injuries and increasing survival rates in collisions. As composites become more affordable, they're poised to transform car safety as we know it.

Imagine a future where car accidents are far less devastating thanks to the widespread adoption of these advanced materials. This article dives into the science behind composite crashworthiness, exploring how these materials perform under repeated impacts and what the future holds for their use in everyday vehicles.

How Do Composites Enhance Crash Safety?

Futuristic car chassis made of carbon fiber absorbing crash energy.

The key to a safe vehicle lies in its ability to manage crash energy. When a car collides with an object, the kinetic energy of the vehicle must be dissipated in a controlled manner to protect the occupants. Traditional steel structures accomplish this by crumpling and deforming, absorbing some of the energy. However, composites offer superior energy absorption capabilities through a variety of mechanisms.

Unlike steel, which primarily deforms through bending and folding, composites can undergo a range of failure modes that consume significantly more energy. These include:

Brittle Fracture: Carbon fiber composites tend to fracture in a brittle manner, creating numerous new surfaces that absorb energy.
Delamination: The layered structure of composites allows for delamination, where the layers separate upon impact, dissipating energy as they slide against each other.
Fiber Pull-out: Energy is consumed when fibers are pulled out of the matrix material during fracture.
Matrix Cracking: Cracks within the matrix material absorb energy as they propagate through the structure.

Researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University and the University of Technology Sydney conducted a series of experiments to evaluate the performance of CFRP and aluminum tubes under repeated impacts. Their findings shed light on how these materials behave in multi-collision scenarios, such as pile-up accidents.

The Road Ahead: Composites in the Future of Car Safety

While challenges remain in terms of cost and manufacturing scalability, the potential benefits of composite materials for car safety are undeniable. As technology advances and production costs decrease, we can expect to see composites playing an increasingly prominent role in the design of safer, more efficient vehicles. The future of car safety is being shaped by the innovative use of these advanced materials, promising a world with fewer accidents and greater protection for all.

About this Article -

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Everything You Need To Know

What are the primary benefits of using carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and aluminum alloys in car manufacturing?

Both **CFRP** and **aluminum alloys** offer significant advantages over traditional materials like steel. They are substantially lighter, which improves fuel efficiency and overall vehicle performance. Furthermore, these materials are engineered to absorb a greater amount of energy during a collision. This superior energy absorption can dramatically reduce the impact force on vehicle occupants, potentially minimizing injuries and increasing the chances of survival in accidents.

How do composite materials, specifically CFRP, absorb energy during a car crash compared to traditional steel?

Unlike steel, which primarily absorbs energy through bending and folding, **CFRP** can undergo several failure modes that consume energy more efficiently. These include: **brittle fracture**, where the material breaks, creating new surfaces that absorb energy; **delamination**, where the layers separate and slide against each other, dissipating energy; **fiber pull-out**, where fibers are pulled from the matrix consuming energy; and **matrix cracking**, which consumes energy as cracks propagate through the structure. These mechanisms allow composites to absorb significantly more energy than steel.

What are the various failure modes of composite materials, and how do they contribute to energy absorption during a car crash?

Composite materials, especially **CFRP**, utilize several failure modes to absorb energy during impact. These include: **Brittle Fracture**, where the material breaks, creating new surfaces that absorb energy as the material fractures; **Delamination**, where the layered structure separates, and the layers slide against each other, dissipating energy through friction; **Fiber Pull-out**, where fibers are pulled from the matrix, consuming energy in the process; and **Matrix Cracking**, where cracks propagate through the matrix material, absorbing energy. Each of these processes contributes to the overall energy absorption capacity of the composite, making vehicles safer.

What challenges remain in the widespread adoption of composite materials like CFRP and aluminum alloys in car manufacturing, and what does the future hold?

While the benefits of **CFRP** and **aluminum alloys** are clear, challenges persist, primarily in cost and manufacturing scalability. However, as technology advances and production costs decrease, we can expect to see composites play a more significant role in the design of safer and more efficient vehicles. The ongoing research and development promise a future with fewer accidents and enhanced protection for vehicle occupants, driven by innovations in composite materials.

How did the research conducted by Sun Yat-Sen University and the University of Technology Sydney contribute to our understanding of composite materials in car safety?

The research by Sun Yat-Sen University and the University of Technology Sydney, focused on **CFRP** and **aluminum tubes**, provided valuable insights into the performance of these materials under repeated impacts. Their findings highlighted how these materials behave in multi-collision scenarios, which are common in accidents like pile-ups. This type of research is crucial for understanding the long-term durability and safety of composites in real-world crash conditions, contributing to advancements in vehicle safety.