Say you want to make a bikeis it possible to make a thin aluminum/titanium tube for the frame, and then put carbon fiber in the middle and then put a really thin coat of steel over the whole thing?- of course I'm not gonna do that~ but is functional to combine materials like that?
Welcome to the world of compositesYour idea is a bit of overkill and not terribly practicalCarbon fiber itself is a composite materialDepending on how you layer and weave the fibers and then glue them together can give you very different resultsTitanium, aside from a few trace elements added to alloy it, does not play well with other metals, is expensive to manufacture (LOTS of energy needed), and can be too flexible sometimesSteel, titanium, and aluminum are sometimes used as place holders (or lugs) for carbon fiber tubesSee the link below for an example of this kind of bikeThis uses the best materials at the appropriate placeSo your idea was not far off, just assembled in a less than optimal wayMy favorite news item was hearing how scientists are trying to make batteries using viruses! I can see future frames being laid down layer upon layer out of organic materials making the frame completely compost ready when you are finished with it making it completely recyclableOh, and did I mention that they would be electric bicycles where the frame is the battery too? Battery dead? No problem, just compost and recycle! Part of your old bike becomes part of your new bike!
