The higher cost of composite parts is mostly due to high raw material costs. Selection of the optimal material for the part, not the best material, will control these costs. Judicious selection of suppliers can minimize the cost penalty. A wide range of fibers and resins are available to select the optimal material combination to meet the structural requirements. The fiber reinforcements provide good damping characteristics and high resistance to fatigue.
Most resins provide very good resistance to chemicals and corrosion.
The fracture toughness of composites is better than aluminum castings. By their nature, castings basically have built-in notches that can catastrophically fracture under impact. The impact toughness of composites can be maximized by fiber selection, length of fiber and use of tougher resin such as thermoplastics. Composite materials will provide structure that saves weight and has better performance over the competing metallic structure. The structure will be more durable and tougher.