11.   Bone is a composite material, with mineral crystals contained within a polymer matrix that is largely made up of the protein collagen.

12.   A Federal Aviation Administration engineer who specializes in composite materials is on his way to the crash scene, Blakey said.

13.   A Federal Aviation Administration official specializing in the advanced composite materials used to fabricate the two tail parts was expected to arrive Wednesday to examine them, Blakey said.

14.   A composite material with five times the strength of aluminum has only half the weight, he said.

15.   Airplane manufacturers like composite materials because they can be tailored to resist bending in a particular direction.

16.   Airlines regularly take planes out of service to perform ultrasonic tests for metal fatigue or wear and tear on composite materials made of fibers and glue.

17.   All composite materials are some kind of fiber held within some kind of a glue known as a matrix.

18.   Both companies make composite materials for aerospace applications.

19.   But composite materials can weaken, too.

20.   But its glass-and-plastic composite materials are used in snow skis, HUM-V vehicles, baseball bats, Stealth bombers and even telephone poles.