Carbon fiber (also known as carbon fibre) is a polymer material made from carbon atoms bonded together in long chains. The fibers are incredibly stiff, strong, and light. It stands out in the materials world as one of the strongest and most lightweight materials on the market.
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Carbon fiber, also known as graphite fiber or carbon graphite, may also be referred to as composite material or fiber-reinforced plastic.
A composite materialcombines two materials with different physical and chemical properties. For a lot of parts, we mainly refer to carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). We’ll use the term carbon fiber for simplicity’s sake.
Five times stronger than steel and one-third its weight, carbon fiber composites are ideal for applications that require strength, durability, lightweight, and speed. Carbon fiber offers several important properties, including:
High stiffness and stiffness-to-weight ratio,
High tensile strength and strength-to-weight ratio,
High-temperature tolerance with special resins,
Low thermal expansion,
High chemical resistance.
Because of this, carbon fiber manufacturing is very popular in many industries, such as automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers), aerospace and aviation, sporting equipment, motorsports and professional racing, and more.
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Carbon fiber is characterized by several positive mechanical and non-mechanical benefits that set it apart from other common materials:
Lightweight: Carbon fiber is a low-density material with high strength-to-weight ratio. This makes it perfect for fuel efficiency and speed in automotive or aerospace applications.
High tensile strength: Carbon fiber is known for its high tensile strength, making it one of the strongest commercial fibers.
Corrosion resistant: Carbon-carbon bonds' strength makes carbon fiber naturally resistant to oxidization. This makes carbon fiber well-suited for environments where it may be exposed to salt water or corrosive chemical agents.
Low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion): Carbon fiber has a low CTE, meaning that it’s less likely to change shape when exposed to heat than other materials.
Exceptional durability: Carbon fiber has superior fatigue properties compared to metal, meaning components made of carbon fiber won’t wear out as quickly under the stress of constant use.
Low thermal conductivity: Carbon fiber is low thermally conductive, making it a good choice for applications where a heat-resistant material is needed.
Dampens sound: Due to the way carbon fiber absorbs sound waves, it can be a great material for dampening noise.
Design flexibility: Because of its strength-to-weight ratio, carbon fiber can be used across several fields and applications. It can also be shaped and molded in ways that traditional materials, like aluminum and steel, cannot.
Overall, it’s easy to see why carbon fiber is such a popular material. It’s strong and lightweight, and it can be used for a variety of applications. At deBotech Inc., we take pride in our custom-quality carbon fiber and advanced composite parts. With over 25 years of experience designing, engineering, and manufacturing, we ensure the best carbon fiber material for our customers worldwide.
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Composites materials consist of a reinforcing fiber encapsulated in a polymer resin. There are a number of resin formulations and types of fibers used in composites, but carbon fiber stands out as a component found in many high-performance products. In applications where reducing weight while creating high strength take precedence, carbon fiber is the choice of reinforcement in many advanced composites structures.
Carbon fiber is found in the composites structures wherever strength and light weight are an advantage; it can be found in high-end sportscars, racecars, high-performance boats, aircraft & aerospace vehicles, medical equipment and sporting goods equipment including, skis, snowboards, tennis rackets, golf clubs and hundreds of other products.
Applications for carbon fiber composites are growing at a pace faster than the general economy as the need for lightweight advanced composites structures increases. Economists predict a significant increase in industry opportunities as the technology advances and applications grow. Interested in how carbon fiber composites create high-performance products or it’s role in energy savings through weight-reduction? Learn more about the uses of carbon fiber, and how to get involved in the future of composite technology.
Carbon fiber, also known as graphite fiber, is a strong, lightweight material made from hundreds of individual carbon filaments that are eight times thinner than a human hair. The filaments are composed of carbon atoms bonded together in long chains. By weight, a carbon fiber composite is five times stronger than steel and twice as stiff resulting from its high tensile strength.
Carbon filaments begin with an acrylic-based plastic known as polyacrylonitrile (PAN). A multi-step process begins by heating and spinning the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers into filaments. These filaments are then heated to even higher temperatures of around 3,000 F, undergoing oxidation and carbonization that removes non-carbon elements and aligns the carbon atoms into tightly-packed crystals. The resulting carbon fibers then receive a surface treatment, are assembled into bundles and wrapped in spools. These fibers are then either grouped in larger bundles known as carbon “tow” or woven into fabrics.
The strands of carbon fiber tow or woven fabrics are saturated with a polymer resin, such as epoxy, and shaped into a mold. The cured resin encapsulates the carbon filaments and creates a rigid matrix in the desired shape of the product. The combination of the resin matrix (epoxy) and the reinforcement fiber (carbon) creates a composite material. The hallmarks of carbon fiber reinforced composites are light weight, rigidity and high tensile strength.
The history of carbon fiber dates to the late 19th century when Thomas Edison used carbon fibers as filaments for early light bulb experiments. However, it wasn’t until the s that carbon fibers were produced as a high-strength material.
The use of carbon fiber as a composites component began in . Dr. Roger Bacon, Union Carbide, created workable carbon fibers by heating strands of rayon to about 3,000 degrees F until they carbonized. This process was the precursor to the modern carbon fiber production method. The s saw the first commercial production of carbon fibers using the process developed by Union Carbide. The potential of carbon fibers as a composite reinforcement was recognized and Rolls Royce began incorporating them into jet engine components.
In the ’s, the aerospace industry drove advancements on composites technology and the applications of carbon fiber became better documented and refined. The race was on to apply this technology to structures where reducing weight and increasing strength was important. Because raw carbon fiber costs more than other fiber reinforcements it became adapted to critical applications where cost was secondary to performance.
In the ’s, a significant boost to carbon fiber composites occurred as these materials started to make their way into the sporting goods industry. Skis, snowboards, tennis rackets, golf clubs, fishing poles and bicycle frames began to feature carbon fiber components for their lightweight and high-strength characteristics. In the commercial sector, auto, motor racing, and marine industries started experimenting with carbon fiber to reduce vehicle weight and improve performance. Simultaneously, aerospace and defense applications were advancing the engineering know-how for the application of carbon fiber composites into the highest performance applications.
By the ’s the use of carbon fiber composites grew as manufacturers found ways to reduce costs and improve the quality of carbon fibers. This led to broader applications, including in the construction and wind energy sectors.
Carbon fiber, as a composites staple, became mainstream by the ’s. This material was no longer limited to high-end applications but was being used in a wide range of industries, from consumer electronics to infrastructure. Over the next two decades, advanced composites were used in increasingly high-profile applications such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 airliners. The automotive industry has adopted motor racing-inspired composites technology and high-end boats of all types use carbon composites as primary structures. The advent of engineering tools such as finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics is driving ever-increasing performance and applications for these composites materials.
Today, a applications for carbon fiber composites appear on a regular basis. While in the past, carbon fiber was exotic and expensive, you can now find carbon fiber in a huge range of industries and products such as:
Carbon fiber composites have been the mainstay of high-performance racing craft for several decades. America’s Cup boats are examples of taking the technology to the limit, with carbon fiber structures that rival aerospace construction. Production boats are increasingly integrating carbon fiber into vacuum infusion processing with the objective of producing a lighter and faster craft.
Carbon fiber has been increasingly adopted in auto manufacturing. These materials first found use in Formula 1 and and Indy cars, which were early adopters of aerospace technology. It then trickled down to exotic high-end sports cars and is currently making its way into production cars. “Lightweighting” is a major goal of automotive design to improve performance and reduce environmental impact. NASCAR recently transitioned to composites bodies for the Cup Series cars. These new bodies have proven to be so tough it has changed the style of racing because the cars can tolerate greater abuse.
The trucking industry has used composites components for decades to improve aerodynamics and fuel economy. There is a pending revolution in heavy truck design that will incorporate greatly improved aerodynamics and reduced weight. These innovations are based on composites components and design to reduce aerodynamic drag. It is estimated that new designs made with sleek lightweight composites components can result in fuel savings upward of $50 billion a year.
Looking across the spectrum from commercial aircraft, military aircraft, launch vehicles and orbital spacecraft, carbon fiber composites play an increasingly important role in meeting performance objectives. Composites engineering has been well developed in these arenas and ongoing innovations are routinely announced. Huge quantities of carbon fiber have been allocated for classified military and defense advanced technology projects. In the commercial arena, dozens of vertical take-off (VTOL) electric aircraft are just now becoming certified or are in development. All these new aircraft use carbon composites as a primary structural material.
Carbon fiber composites are found across the sporting goods world due to its strength and light weight. This includes: hockey sticks, tennis racquets, archery bows, golf clubs and fishing poles, skis, snowboards, wakeboards, kiteboards and foil boards. All use carbon fiber along with rowing shells and bicycles.
The medical field is another industry where carbon fiber has made a significant impact in recent years. Carbon fiber is transparent in X-ray images, which has led to its use in a wide range of X-ray and imaging equipment. Carbon fiber is also used in prosthetic limbs, which are strong, light, and comfortable to wear and use.
The future of carbon fiber composite materials is bright, with advancements and new applications routinely coming to market. As composites manufacturing techniques advance, using carbon fiber as a structural material will continually increase. With that happening, the composites industry needs trained technicians who understand the materials and manufacturing techniques. Are you interested in the expanding world of composites and carbon fiber? The IYRS Composites Technology Program can ground you in science and hands-on application of these exciting new materials.
IYRS has its roots in craftsmanship, developing students into makers, builders, designers, and technicians who will help shape the future of our world. Our immersive Composites Technology training program prepares students to work with composites materials in a range of industries from aerospace and automobiles to sporting goods and renewable energy.
With faculty who offer decades of experience and a passion for teaching, paired with a curriculum that includes understanding the materials, hands-on application of processing methods, CAD drawing and CNC machining, IYRS will prepare you to take the Certified Composites Technician (CCT) exams and
step into your new career. The need for composite technicians has never been greater. Get started with your new career by getting in touch with our Admissions team for answers to any questions you have about IYRS.
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