- Written By: Michael Anissimov
- Edited By: Niki Foster
- Last Modified Date: 06 April 2012
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Copyright Protected:
2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
Carbon fiber is the common name used to refer to plastic reinforced by a graphite textile. Less frequently, the term is used to describe the textile itself, but it is pretty much useless unless embedded in plastic. Carbon fiber is known alternatively as carbon fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber composite. The plastic typically used is epoxy.
Carbon fiber is very expensive, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio. Attempts to put it into mass production have so far failed, due to inadequate demand, the customized nature of most carbon fiber parts, and a lack of skilled craftsmen. The material is employed in high-quality cars, boats, bicycles, and planes, including popular Formula One racecars.
Depending on the orientation of the fiber, the carbon fiber composite can be stronger in a certain direction or equally strong in all directions. A small piece can withstand an impact of many tons and still deform minimally. The complex interwoven nature of the fiber makes it very difficult to break.
In terms of weight-to-strength ratio, carbon fiber composite is currently the best material that our civilization can produce in appreciable quantities. Introducing carbon nanotubes into the fiber is currently in research stages, and may offer improved ratios of 10 times or greater – a space age material indeed. Carbon fibers are chemically “grown” on smaller frames with a high surface area, designed to bond to deposited carbon atoms. The frame typically constitutes 2% of the total fiber produced.
A bicycle made of carbon fiber composite typically costs around a few thousand US dollars (USD). Formula One racing cars, which travel at speeds over 320 km/h (200 mph), may cost over a million USD to build and maintain, a cost determined in no small part by the generous use of carbon fiber composite. Large commercial airplanes typically use carbon fiber composites, the increased production of which is the decisive factor for the rapid growth of carbon fiber demand in recent years. Both private and public spaceship projects use carbon fiber as part of the craft's chassis.
In civil engineering, it has been determined that old bridges may be spared from destruction and rebuilding through simple carbon fiber reinforcements, which are comparatively cheaper. If the cost of carbon fiber can be significantly reduced, it may become a universal material for vehicles and small products designed for extreme durability and lightness. The current strategies used for manufacture vary based on application and quantity.
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anon259491
Post 38 |
I am doing a project on carbon fiber composites chassis in F1 cars. I have enough information about carbon fibers, but I have very little information about the resin system used. Please, can you help me in this regard?
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anon152285
Post 35 |
Carbon fiber is reaching new levels of manufacturing, processing and cost. A good example is the Boeing 787. |
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anon150756
Post 34 |
Who manufactures aircraft containers made of carbon fiber materials? Need comparisons as to comparable weights by container size if available. Appreciate any information or guidance as to a resource or supplier I could contact. Thanks for any info you may provide. --Karl B
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anon130305
Post 31 |
list me some of the composite materials used for fabrication of ic engines? |
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anon125547
Post 30 |
i am new to carbon fiber and got interested in it. I wonder why carbon fiber is so light and strong compared to other materials like metals. |
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anon122722
Post 28 |
the single carbon filament is around 5µm, about a third of a hair's thickness. To see how much weight that could hold... For one thing, carbon is not at its best when used as a rope, since carbon is very stiff and brittle compared to aramid/kevlar or glass. but in terms of tensile strength, this can vary to the kind of carbon that is used. (from 350Ksi for pitch to 700Ksi for PAN). This means, in short, is that there is next to nothing you can get your hands on that is better when it comes to sheer stretching resistance. As for the fire resistance, well they can take up to 6335°F but the resin system you use to contain the fibres in the orientation you desired limits you to an average of 500°F. At that point you just have a bundle of fibres, so the heat resistance depends on the resin system. a filament is the smallest form of carbon. A strand is a bundle of filaments. A yarn is made of twisted strands, used for weaving and a tow is non-twisted bundles, used for winding or UD placement. |
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anon118211
Post 27 |
I'm an a-plus student in South Africa and I found out that carbon fibre can't burn without oxygen. |
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anon117613
Post 26 |
Why is it so expensive and why does it have to be transported at 0 frozen? |
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anon104187
Post 25 |
I'm currently doing a project on this topic. It is all about the current trends and developments on advance carbon composites, material specific to wind turbine blade technology. I am seeking help in order for me just to understand what is carbon fibre? when did it start development with its specific production? also, what are the different types of material available in this field? |
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anon99448
Post 24 |
How do you compare carbon fiber to,2050 - T84 Plates Description? ALCAN patented Aluminium-Lithium 2050 is an Al-Cu-Li-Mg alloy. Its application would be bicycle frames. |
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anon73692
Post 22 |
i have a project in university, so can you tell me if I should make carbon fibers my topic, because i don't know anything about it and i want to know if it is wide enough to talk about in a project. thank you. |
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anon59464
Post 21 |
Excellent article. I am currently researching Carbon Fiber Manufacturers and have found PCT so far to be the best. Any suggestions would be appreciated. |
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anon55258
Post 19 |
What is involved with making tables and a bar for a restaurant using carbon fiber? |
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anon54540
Post 18 |
I am thinking of using small carbon fiber discs to simulate fish scales in a flexible knee pad for sports. will the impact from a fall on concrete or rocks shatter penny sized discs? |
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anon54165
Post 17 |
Carbon fibers will shatter when blunt force is applied. This is useful in a chassis such as an F1 car, is that when the frame is impacted, it will not transfer the force by crumpling, but rather will disperse the energy by shattering, thereby making it safer. |
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anon53787
Post 15 |
I read that although carbon fiber can withstand extreme bending due to its flexibility, it is not nearly as resilient when it comes to blunt force and will shatter. if this is true how can it be used in vehicles or aircraft? |
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anon52265
Post 14 |
Could carbon fiber be made from carbon waste from coal burning electric generating plants? |
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anon44877
Post 13 |
i am in a high school HMV class and i was wondering if it would make sense to use carbon fiber instead of alloys. |
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anon43604
Post 12 |
I am doing a project about carbon fibre and I need to know its breaking strength and its cost per square meter. |
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shramik
Post 10 |
Can carbon fiber be used in flight(like in blimps not airplanes)? |
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arch
Post 8 |
sir i am 3rd year mechanical engineering student and i am doing project on use of lightweight materials in automobiles. since carbon fiber is the best option can you please give me details regarding the same. thank you |
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oconnor
Post 6 |
I am interested in the question above concerning several strands of carbon fiber known as a tow. Specifically, if it can be wound around an object, what is its strength, how long can it be produced and the approx cost per foot. Thank You |
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anon22342
Post 5 |
I am an A-level student studying in england and i am making a presentation about carbon fibre and its use in formula one cars is there any information that you can give me in reference to carbon fibre, its properties and anything of interest to me. thank you for your time.
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anon21038
Post 4 |
i have a project on how carbon fiber is produced and the time frame it take to produce it by each machine and process by time. |
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anon19158
Post 3 |
Dear Sir, It is a pleasure for me to take the opportunity to contact a real specialist in his field. I was amazed to find out that a personal website can offer the widest scope of information on carbon fibre and its use. Congratulations and thank you! As you know much better than a dilettante as I am, carbon fibre has already penetrated deeply into world's highest technology. Unfortunately, a small number of people can enjoy the beauty and strenght of this material. As an executive manager of a small Bulgarian company, I would like to give people from my county the chance to touch the might of carbon in different forms, use and design, in different fields of industry. And more, to give them the best carbon fibre in order to improve their production and enter the market with interesting and modern products, made of or combined with carbon fibre. Unfortunately, I am have already mentioned I am truly a laic in the fully science field and I hope that opening your website shall turn out to be a lucky coincidence. The questions that first occur to a person that have seen carbon fiber only in formula 1, are what carbon is used for reinforcing car parts or deigning new furniture for example or even making a coffee cup out of carbon fibre, where can such carbon fibre be found, what do I do when I get it, how is it processed etc. You seem to be only man in the virtual space that seemingly knows the answers of those question! With the fear of too much flattering, I would like to express my admiration and hope to receive your reply! |
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anon14051
Post 2 |
Why is it so expensive? |
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Poe
Post 1 |
Most of the information I have found on carbon fiber is about woven material, not the single strand. Most of the facts are written for engineers and math majors, not the layman. I would like some information in a straight-forward, user-friendly format. For example, how thick is a single strand? How much weight will a single strand of carbon fiber hold? Will it oxidize when exposed to a flame of, say, 500 degrees Fahrenheit? Does the process of oxidation weaken the fiber? Is this a fast process, although I do not mean burning or exploding, or does it take place over an appreciable amount of time? When oxidizing, does it come to a point of complete disintegration or will it maintain structural cohesion? (Iron oxide, for example, does not disintegrate but it's structural integrity isn't high, either.) There is a product called, I believe, a tow: several strands constituting one long line. How thick are these and how much weight do they hold per single line. I know there are different kinds of carbon fiber, but I'm interested in any that may have the good mix of these abilities: carries a load, relatively inert to a low temperature flame and does not stretch appreciably. Much obliged
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