One alternative is a cable that uses a combination of aluminium and carbon-glass fibre composite.

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After completing the costume, made mostly of glass fibre and foam, photos of it were posted online and they have been shared by people on social networks around the globe.

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Mr Collier, a glass-fibre expert, has described the move as a "temporary blip" and says he is confident the Robins will be in production again soon.

BBC: Robin factory grinds to a halt

The roof of a north Worcestershire church that has repeatedly fallen victim to metal thefts is to be replaced with fibre glass.

BBC: Metal theft hit Bromsgrove church to use fibre glass

In its heyday in the 1960s, more than 300 of the fibre-glass vehicles were produced every week and Reliant Motors in Staffordshire was once the second largest all-British car maker.

BBC: Robin factory grinds to a halt

One of the ways that Chapman added lightness to his cars, the use of composite materials such as carbon fibre and glass-reinforced plastic, is not that practical either.

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The exact chemical composition of a fibre's glass determines how transparent it is to different frequencies, and also its tendency to disperse those frequencies even when it is transparent.

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The XPS Duo 12 features thoughtful design, attractive aesthetics, and is crafted from premium materials such as machined aluminium and carbon fibre, as well as Corning Gorilla Glass for durability.

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For both modes of crystal fibre, the pattern of holes is generated by stacking hollow glass tubes a millimetre or so in diameter to form a rod several centimetres thick.

ECONOMIST: A new approach to making optical fibres