= Composite matrix
The <composite matrix> in a <composite material> is its continuous surrounding phase, distinguished from embedded fibres or particles. It holds the reinforcement together and transfers load through interfacial <stresses>; it can also protect the reinforcement from damage or the environment.
For a fibre-reinforced <polymer>, the <polymer> is the <composite matrix> even if the fibres carry much of the axial load. <Matrix stiffness>, interfacial adhesion and failure therefore affect the whole specimen. This materials meaning differs from a rectangular array of numbers in <linear algebra>.
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