The document discusses carbon fiber, including its: - Composition of carbon atoms and properties like high strength and stiffness but low weight. - Uses in aerospace, vehicles, sports equipment due to these properties. - Production process involving polyacrylonitrile fibers that are stabilized and carbonized at high heat. - Applications ranging from aircraft and vehicles to sports equipment and medical devices. - Advantages of light weight, strength and corrosion resistance compared to other materials.

1. CARBON FIBER
Presented by
Chavda Gayatri
M.Sc. Polymer science

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 History
 Sources
 Chemistry
 Structure
 Process
 Properties
 Application
 Advantages
 Disadvantages

3. INTRODUCTION
 Carbon fibers are fibers about 5–10 micrometers in
diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms.
 Carbon fibers have several advantages including
high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high
chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and
low thermal expansion.

4.  These properties have made carbon fiber very
popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, and
motorsports, along with other competition sports.
 Five times stronger than steel , Two times stiffer
and about Two-Third times less in weight.

5.  Several thousand carbon fibers are bundled together to
form a tow, which may be used by itself or woven into a
fabric.
 Carbon fibers are usually combined with other materials to
form a composite

6.  Which has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and is
extremely rigid and brittle.
 Carbon fibers are also composited with other materials,
such as graphite, to form reinforced carbon-carbon
composites, which have a very high heat tolerance.

7. BRIEF HISTORY OF CARBON FIBER
 In 1860, Joseph Swan produced carbon fibers for the first
time, for use in light bulbs.
 In 1879, Thomas Edison baked cotton threads or bamboo
slivers at high temperatures carbonizing them into an all-
carbon fiber filament used in one of the first incandescent light
bulbs to be heated by electricity.
 In 1880, Lewis Latimer developed a reliable carbon wire
filament for the incandescent light bulb, heated by electricity.

8.  In 1958, Roger Bacon created high-performance carbon
fibers at the Union Carbide Parma Technical Center
located outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
 This process proved to be inefficient, as the resulting
fibers contained only about 20% carbon and had low
strength and stiffness properties.
 US Air force and NASA began using carbon fiber for its
applications to aircrafts and spacecrafts

9. In the late 1960s, the Japanese
took the lead in manufacturing
PAN-based carbon fibers
 US Air force and NASA began
using carbon fiber for its applications
to aircrafts and spacecrafts

10. HOW IS CARBON FIBER MADE?
 Production from two sources:-
 90% polyacrylonitrile (PAN).
 10% rayon or petroleum pitch.

11. CHEMISTRY
 One of main components of carbon fiber, is semi -
crystalline polymer resin, known as Polyacrylonitrile.
 Once the polyacrylonitrile is made and stabilized, it is
ready for the Carbonization process.
 The fibers have to be heated to extreme temperatures
going all the way high as 5,500℉ for several minutes.

12.  This has to be done in a furnace that does not
contain any oxygen whatsoever, so that the
fibers do not burn

13.  Production Carbon fibers are typically made from
polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Upon heating to 300C, the
cyano side groups form cyclic rings with each other.

14.  Further heating at 700:C causes these rings to become
aromatic pyridine groups due to the loss of hydrogen
from the carbon atoms.

15.  By slowly applying heat between 400-600:C, adjacent
chains fuse together to form ribbons, expelling more
hydrogen gas.

16.  In order to form wider ribbons, the temperature is
increased to 600-1300:C, and nitrogen gas is
expelled.

17.  These ribbons contain carbon in its hexagonal
graphitic structure, and do not have the long range
ordering, so carbon fibers are amorphous.

18.  During this process, all the non carbon atoms fade
away and you are left with fibers that have tightly
bonded carbon crystals.
 The fibers are coated with materials that are
compatible with the adhesive used to make
composite materials.
 These materials include nylon, polyester, urethane,
epoxy and more.

19. STRUCTURE

20. STRUCTURE
 The atomic structure of carbon fiber is similar to
that of graphite consisting of sheets of carbon
atoms arranged in a regular hexagonal
(graphene sheets) the difference being in the way
these sheets interlock.

21. STRUCTURAL MODEL OF CARBON FIBER

22. CROSS SECTION VIEW OF CARBON FIBER

23. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

24. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
 In the manufacturing process, the raw materials, which are
called precursors, are drawn into long strands or fibers. The
fibers are woven into fabric or combined with other materials
that are filament wound or molded into desired shapes and
sizes.
 There are typically five segments in the manufacturing of
carbon fibers from the PAN process.
 These are:

25.  Spinning:
PAN mixed with other ingredients and spun into
fibers, which are washed and stretched.
 Stabilizing:
Chemical alteration to stabilize bonding.
 Carbonizing:
Stabilized fibers heated to very high temperature
forming tightly bonded carbon crystals.

26.  Treating the Surface:
The surface of fibers oxidized to improve bonding
properties.
 Sizing:-
Fibers are coated and wound onto bobbins, which are
loaded onto spinning machines that twist the fibers into
different size yarns. Instead of being woven into fabrics,
fibers may be formed into composites. To form composite
materials, heat, Pressure or a vacuum binds fibers
together with a plastic Polymer.

27. MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES
 The manufacture of carbon fibers carries a number
of challenges, including:
 The need for more cost-effective recovery and
repair.
 The surface treatment process must be carefully
regulated to avoid creating pits that could result in
defective fibers.
 Close control required to ensure consistent quality.

28.  Health and safety issues
 Skin irritation
 Breathing irritation
 Arcing and shorts in electrical equipment because
of the strong electro-conductivity of carbon fibers.

29. APPLICATION

30. APPLICATIONS OF CARBON FIBER OVERVIEW:
 Sporting Equipment
 Automotive Parts
 Aerospace Engineering

31.  Civil Engineering
 Medical Applications
 Environmental Applications
 Things at Home

32. APPLICATIONS IN SPORTS:
 Track Spikes
 Bicycle Frames
 Helmets
 Motor Racing
 Tennis Rackets

33.  Golf Clubs
 Cricket Bats
 Gliders
 Surfboards
 Rowing Shells
 Ice Hockey Sticks

34. APPLICATION IN THE AUTOMOTIVE
INDUSTRY:
 Hoods
 Car emblems
 Mufflers
 Interior panels of a car
 Steering wheels
 Racing car chassis

35. APPLICATION IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
 Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer is can be applied to
reinforce concrete structures
 The high strength of carbon fiber enables it to be used as
a prestresser

36.  High corrosion resistance allows for use in offshore
environments
 Used in PCCP lines to reinforce the pipes

37. APPLICATIONS IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
 Aircraft:
 Main wings
 Tail units
 Fuselages
 Ailerons
 Rudders
 Elevators
 Floor panel
 Beams
 Lavatory units
 Seats

38.  Rockets:
 Nozzle cones
 Motor cases

39.  Satellites: Antennas
 Solar battery panels
 Tube truss structural materials

40. APPLICATIONS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD
 Radiographic imaging table tops, cradles, couches, and
pallet
 Table top extensions & accessories
 Oncology treatment overlays

41.  Positioning products
 Surgical table components

42.  Constructing up of wind mill blades.

43. OTHER APPLICATION
 Audio Equipment
 Music Instruments
 Firearms
 Laptops
 High-end knives
 Toilet seats
 Much more

44. PROPERTIES
 High tensile Strength
 Rigidity
 Corrosion resistance
 Electrical Conductivity
 Fatigue Resistance
 Good tensile strength but Brittle
 Fire Resistance/Not flammable

45.  High Thermal Conductivity in some forms
 Low coefficient of thermal expansion
 Non poisonous
 Biologically inert
 X-Ray Permeable
 Relatively Expensive
 Requires specialized experience and equipment to use

46. ADVANTAGES
 Lightweight
carbon fiber is a low density material with a very high
strength to weight ratio
 Low thermal expansion
carbon fiber will expand or contract much less in hot or
cold conditions than materials like steel and aluminum
 Exceptional durability
carbon fiber will expand or contract much less in hot or
cold conditions than materials like steel and aluminum

47.  Corrosion-resistance
when made with the appropriate resins, carbon fiber is one of
the most corrosion-resistant materials available
 High tensile strength
one of the strongest of all commercial reinforcing fibers when
it comes to tension, carbon fiber is very difficult to stretch or
bend
 Radiolucence
carbon fiber is transparent to radiation and invisible in x-rays
making it valuable for usage in medical equipment and
facilities

48.  Electrical conductivity
carbon fiber composites are an excellent conductor of
electricity
 Ultra-violet resistance
carbon fiber can be UV resistant with use of the proper
resins

49. DISADVANTAGES
 Carbon fiber will break or shatter
 when it’s compressed, pushed beyond its strength
capabilities or exposed to high impact.
 It will crack if hit by a hammer.
 Machining and holes can also create weak areas
that may increase its likelihood of breaking.

50.  Relative cost
 carbon fiber is a high quality material with a price to match.
 While prices have dropped significantly in the past five
years, demand has not increased enough to increase the
supply substantially.
 As a result, prices will likely remain the same for the near
future.

51. INDIA GETS FIRST CARBON FIBER PLANT
 May 9th 2010, Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam
on Sunday inaugurated the country's first carbon fiber
manufacturing facility. The Rs 250 carore set up will
produce lightweight material for use in defense,
aerospace and infrastructure under technology transfer
from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's
(CSIR) National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), which had
developed the ultralight material for the Light Combat
Aircraft.

52. CARBON FIBER MARKET

53. CARBON FIBER MARKET