The Many Exciting Uses & Applications of Carbon Fiber Composites

 

What are Carbon Fiber Composites?

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.

What is Carbon Fiber?

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.

How is Carbon Fiber Made?

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.

How is Carbon Fiber Used?

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 Dawn of Carbon Fiber

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 1950s that carbon fibers were produced as a high-strength material.

The use of carbon fiber as a composites component began in 1958. 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 1960s 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 1970’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 1980’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 1990’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 2000’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. 

Some Really Cool Applications of Carbon Fiber

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: 

Marine

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.

Automotive

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.

Transportation

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.

Aircraft, Aerospace and Defense

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. 

Sporting goods

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.

Medicine

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.

Interested in Making Some of These Things? IYRS Has a Place for You!

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, ACCSC nationally accredited 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.

Contact us at admissions@iyrs.edu or schedule a visit!