What’s carbon fiber?
Carbon fiber is an inorganic high-performance fiber with a carbon content of more than 90%, which is transformed from organic fiber through a series of heat treatments. It is a new material with excellent mechanical properties. It has the inherent characteristics of carbon materials and the softness and durability of textile fibers. Processability, it is a new generation of reinforcing fiber.
It has the characteristics of general carbon materials, such as high temperature resistance, friction resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. However, unlike general carbon materials, its shape is significantly anisotropic, soft, and can be processed into various shapes. A fabric that exhibits high strength along the fiber axis. Carbon fiber has a small specific gravity and therefore has a high specific strength.
It is made of artificial chemical fibers with high carbon content that do not melt during heat treatment, and are made through processes such as thermally stable oxidation treatment, carbonization treatment and graphitization.
Main features
1. High carbon content: The carbon content of it is higher than 90%, which makes it have characteristics similar to carbon materials.
2. Excellent mechanical properties: Carbon fiber has high strength and high modulus, especially showing extremely high strength along the fiber axis, making it play a reinforcing role in composite materials.
3. Multifunctionality: It has excellent physical and chemical properties such as high temperature resistance, friction resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.
4. Anisotropy: Unlike general carbon materials, carbon fiber has significant anisotropy, which means that its performance in different directions varies greatly, especially in mechanical properties.
5. Soft and processable: It has softness and processability similar to textile fibers, and can be made into various fabrics, composite materials and complex-shaped products.
6. Low specific gravity: The density of carbon fiber is small, which greatly reduces the overall density of the composite material, thereby increasing the specific strength and specific modulus.
Manufacturing process
The manufacturing process of carbon fiber involves several key steps:
1. Thermal stable oxidation treatment (Oxidation): Organic fibers are first subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment to transform them into oxide fibers with certain thermal stability.
2. Carbonization: The oxidized fiber is further carbonized at high temperature, that is, non-carbon elements (such as oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) are removed, causing the carbon content in the fiber to increase.
3. Graphitization: In order to improve the crystallinity and conductivity of carbon fibers, some carbon fibers are also graphitized to form a graphite-like structure.
These process steps not only determine the final carbon content and properties of the carbon fiber, but also ensure that it has properties suitable for a variety of industrial and technical applications. Carbon fiber is regarded as one of the important representatives of the new generation of reinforced fiber materials due to its wide application in aerospace, automotive industry, energy fields, etc.
Carbon fiber is a high-performance new material with a variety of excellent mechanical and physical properties and is suitable for a wide range of industrial and technical applications. Carbon fiber is mainly used as reinforcing material, usually compounded with resin, metal or ceramic matrix to make various structural materials. The comprehensive index of specific strength and specific modulus of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite materials is very high among existing structural materials. In fields with strict requirements on density, stiffness, weight, fatigue properties, etc., and in situations where high temperature and high chemical stability are required, carbon fiber composite materials have considerable advantages. The following are the main characteristics of carbon fiber and its application areas.
Characteristics and advantages
1. High strength: The strength of carbon fiber is about five times higher than that of steel, especially in the tensile direction.
2. Heat resistance: It can withstand high temperatures up to 2000°C, which makes it of great application value in high temperature environments.
3. Thermal shock resistance: It has excellent thermal shock resistance and can maintain structural integrity under rapidly changing temperature conditions.
4. Low thermal expansion coefficient: Its thermal expansion coefficient is small, which results in small deformation when the temperature changes, which is beneficial to maintaining structural stability.
5. Small heat capacity: It has low heat capacity, which is conducive to energy saving and rapid response to temperature changes in a short time.
6. Small specific gravity: The density is about one-fifth that of steel, making carbon fiber products lightweight while maintaining high strength and rigidity.
7. Anti-corrosion and radiation performance: It has good corrosion resistance and radiation stability, and is suitable for long-term use in complex and harsh environments.
Application areas
– Aerospace: used to manufacture lightweight structural parts such as aircraft and satellites to improve the fuel efficiency and performance of aircraft.
– Automotive industry: used to manufacture body, chassis and other components to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy and performance.
– Energy industry: In fields such as nuclear energy and wind energy, it is used to manufacture blades, bearings and high-temperature components due to its high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.
-Sporting goods: such as high-end bicycles, golf clubs, etc., utilizing the lightweight and high-strength properties of carbon fiber.
– Medical equipment: such as brackets and housings for X-ray and MRI equipment, as well as prosthetic and orthopedic equipment.
Carbon fiber plays an important role in modern industry and technology with its unique physical properties and versatility. It is one of the important materials in high-performance and high-tech applications.
Post time: Jul-03-2024