7 May 2015
VIEW BROCHURE OF CARBON FIBER HI-STRENGTH, LOW-COST
VIEW BROCHURE OF CARBON FIBER HIGH-PURITY
VIEW BROCHURE OF CARBON FIBER FIRE&HEAT SHIELD
ABOUT
A carbon fiber is a long, thin strand of material
about 0.0002-0.0004 in (0.005-0.010 mm) in diameter and
composed mostly of carbon atoms.
The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals
that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber.
The crystal alignment makes the fiber incredibly strong for its size.
Several thousand carbon fibers are twisted together to form a yarn,
which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric.
The yarn or fabric is combined with epoxy
and wound or molded into shape to form various composite materials.
Carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials are used to
make aircraft and spacecraft parts, racing car bodies, golf club shafts,
bicycle frames, fishing rods, automobile springs, sailboat masts, and
many other components
where light weight and high strength are needed.
Carbon fibers are classified by the tensile modulus of the fiber.
The English unit of measurement is
pounds of force per square inch of cross-sectional area, or psi.
Carbon fibers classified as
“low modulus” have a tensile modulus below 34.8 million psi (240 million kPa).
Other classifications, in ascending order of tensile modulus, include
“standard modulus,”
“intermediate modulus,”
“high modulus,” and “ultrahigh modulus.”
Ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers have a tensile modulus of
72.5 -145.0 million psi (500 million-1.0 billion kPa).
As a comparison, steel has a tensile modulus of about
29 million psi (200 million kPa). Thus,
the strongest carbon fibers are
ten times stronger than steel and eight times that of aluminum,
not to mention much lighter than both materials,
5 and 1.5 times, respectively.
Additionally, their fatigue properties are superior to
all known metallic structures, and
they are one of the most corrosion-resistant materials available,
when coupled with the proper resins.
READ MORE How carbon fiber is made ?
READ MORE The history of carbon fiber
READ MORE The future of carbon fiber
DETAILS
(headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
will double production capacity at the Zoltek de Mexico facility
(located in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX) to 5,000 tons per year,
beginning in April 2016.
In anticipation of a tremendous increase in demand
for large tow carbon fiber, Zoltek has a plan to
double its current global production by 2020
from the current capacity of 13,000 tons per year.
To support this growth, Zoltek will begin phased enhancements
to the Mexican plant.
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
