Carbon fiber is exactly what the name suggests, extremely thin strong fibers and is most notably used to reinforce composite materials, particularly the class of materials known as carbon fiber or graphite reinforced polymers. It’s also known alternatively as the reinforced plastic or carbon fiber composite. As a compound it’s known for being far stronger and lighter than fiberglass. It’s kind of is an engineer’s dream come true. A material that’s lighter than aluminum and is pound for pound stronger than steel.
It’s also known as an expensive compound, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio and is a form of graphite in which the sheets are long and thin. Carbon fiber is actually made from another polymer, called polyacrylonitrile, by a complicated heating process. It is widely used because it has a number of characteristics that make it ideal for the construction of a things and items required to be light in weight but extremely sturdy. Things like surfboards and even aircraft. Among it’s many other uses, it’s a compound that is often used in aerospace and automotive fields, as well as in sailboats and modern bicycles, where the material’s strength-to-weight ratio is beneficial.
Some other characteristics that make it favorable is it’s extremely low flex fatigue over time, it’s non flammable and is stable in the environment.
Recently it’s become the composite material most often found in race cars, although like all advanced technology it’s quickly finding it’s way into more and more vehicles. Because it’s so easy to produce in large quantities manufacturers weave it into sheets, bars, tubes, and other shapes. Often in several overlapping layers to increase their strength.
The atomic structure of carbon fiber is similar to that of graphite, consisting of sheets of carbon atoms (grapheme sheets) arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern. It’s high cost is somewhat mitigated by the material’s unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio. One major advantage is that though it’s one-fifth the weight of steel it’s just as strong and stiff, which makes it ideal for structural or semi-structural components in automobiles. But since it is lighter and stronger, wind power turbine makers are using it to make turbine blades longer, stronger and more efficient.
Carbon fiber is now in great demand worldwide to make to make composite components for a new generation of fuel-saving commercial aircraft and is developing as a sort of earth conscious material.
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