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1. Carbon Fiber

2. Carbon Fiber
• Also called graphite fiber.
• It is in the form of several long strands of a
material mainly composed by carbon atoms.
• Each strand is 0.005 – 0.010 mm thick in
diameter.
• First made by Dr.
Roger Bacon.

3. Advantages
• It has the greatest compressive strength of all
reinforcing materials.
• High strength to weight ratio.
• Low coefficient of thermal
expansion.
• Its density is much lower
than the density of steel.

4. Applications
• Used to reinforce composite materials
• Used structurally in high-temperature
applications.
• As an electrode with
• high surface area and
• impeccable corrosion
• resistance.
• Anti-static component.

5. Creation
• Spinning: A polyacrylonitrile plastic is spun into
fibers which are then washed and stretched to
the desired diameter.
• Stabilizing: fibers are heated with O2 to make
their bonding more thermally stable.
• Carbonizing: fibers then are heated without
oxygen, they lose non carbon atoms and
bonded carbon crystals are made.
• Treating surface: the surface is slightly
oxidized.
• Sizing: fibers are coated and wounded into
bobbins.

6. Carbon Fiber’s Future
• Alternate Energy: wind turbines, compressed
natural gas storage and transportation fuel cells.
• Fuel Efficient Automobiles: moving towards large
production series cars.
• Construction Infrastructure: light weight pre-cast
concrete, earthquake protection.
• Oil Exploration: Deep sea drilling platforms,
buoyancy, umbilical, choke, kill lines and drill
pipes.