What is Carbon Fiber?
Carbon fiber is a lightweight, strong, stiff, and corrosive resistant material made from carbon fibers woven into substrates and embedded in a resin matrix. Carbon fiber is manufactured utilizing a process called carbonization. This involves heating fibers, made from polymers to high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. The polymer fibers are converted into carbon fibers through the removal of non-carbon elements, such as hydrogen and oxygen.
After the production of carbon fibers, they are usually woven into another fabric and then embedded in a resin matrix to form the final composite material. The resin matrix can include epoxy, polyester, or vinylester, and it provides excellent strength and stability to the carbon fiber composite.
Carbon Fiber Traits
Strength
Carbon fiber is strong because of its special microstructure, which consists of thin, long fibers made of pure carbon. These tightly packed and bonded together fibers create a material that is incredibly stiff and strong. These fibers have a high tensile strength. These properties make carbon fiber an extremely strong material for its weight, which is why it can be found in high-performance applications where strength and lightweight are critical.
Weight
Carbon fiber is extremely lightweight because of its inherent low density. Although it is not as light as aluminum, it still weights a lot less than common l. This low density is due to the low atomic weight of carbon, as well as the highly oriented structure of the carbon fibers, which maximizes the strength-to-weight ratio of the material. The lightweight nature of carbon fiber makes it attractive for use in applications where weight reduction is important, such as in aerospace, automotive and sporting goods.
Stiffness
Carbon fiber is stiff because of its high modulus of elasticity, also known as the measure of a material’s resistance to deformation underweight. The modulus of elasticity of carbon fiber is much higher than that of other commonly used engineering materials, including aluminum and steel. It owes its stiffness to the high degree of orientation by the carbon fibers and the dense packing of the fibers in the material.
Corrosion Resistance
Carbon fiber has corrosion resistance because it is made of pure carbon, which offers high resistant to chemical attack and degradation. Due to the carbon fibers being embedded in a resin matrix there is an additional barrier to the penetration of corrosive agents. The use of a resin matrix also allows for the carbon fibers to gain additional protection to exposure from harsh environments, which increases corrosion resistance. These factors make carbon fiber a fantastic material for use in harsh and corrosive environments, such as those found in the automotive industry.
Why Different Industries Use Carbon Fiber
Lightweight
Carbon fiber is lightweight, making it ideal for use in sports equipment such as golf clubs, tennis racquets, and bicycles, where reducing weight can improve performance. In the automotive industry it is great for improving fuel efficiency and performance.
Strength
Carbon fiber is strong and stiff, making it ideal for use in sports equipment that requires high strength and rigidity, such as hockey sticks and snowboards. Strength is a necessity in high-performance and safety critical parts such as chassis components and body panels.
Customizability
Carbon fiber can be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes, making it suitable for use in many different automotive and sporting goods applications.
Durability
Carbon fiber is highly durable and resistant to wear and tear, making it suitable for use in sports equipment and vehicle parts that are subjected to repeated impacts and stress.
Cost
Carbon fiber’s cost has been decreasing as production methods have improved and production volume has increased, making it more accessible to industries.
If your company is looking for a strong, lightweight, and corrosion resistant material, then carbon fiber may be a perfect fit. Current produces carbon fiber in several different weaves and works in several different industries: we are a major carbon fiber manufacturer for sporting goods and the automotive industry. Check out a link to the Carbon Fiber page of our website to inquire about pricing and lead times: