Carbon graphite or graphite fiber, more popularly known as carbon fiber, has been a highly used material in a number of different industries. The sheer versatility of its use and customizability make it a perfect fit for varied applications. Carbon fiber typically consists of numerous slim strands of the raw element carbon.
These fibers often have high tensile strength, especially considering their size. As a matter of fact, a form of carbon fiber known as carbon nanotube is said to be the strongest material available in the industry. Each of these carbon fiber strands has a diameter of only 5 to 10 microns.
For a more understandable comparison, a single strand of spider silk web has a diameter of 3 to 8 microns. Research has shown carbon fiber strands are two times stiffer and five times stronger than steel. They also have a high tolerance for heat, along with low thermal expansion, and are chemically resistant.
All such factors make carbon fiber a rather interesting product. If you are intrigued by the several applications of this composite, the process of carbon fiber parts manufacturing, and its challenges, this article is a must-read.
Application of Carbon Fiber
First invented in Cleveland, Ohio, during the late 1950s, it was not until 1963 that it got the reputation it deserved. The British research Center helped come up with a new manufacturing process that enabled them to use carbon fiber for several industrial applications.
Starting from aerospace tech to engineering, construction, vehicles, and even the medical industry, the applications of carbon fiber are unparalleled. Here mentioned are some of the biggest industries that use carbon fiber for the majority of their production.
- Sporting Goods:
The lightweight of these materials and minimal resistance made carbon fiber a preferred alternative to the more conventional raw materials used to make sporting goods. This allows the player a competitive edge of moving fast. Products like archery arrows, surfboards, bicycles, shock absorbers, and even tennis racquets use this composite.
- Aerospace:
Since carbon fiber composites have high rigid strength and are very lightweight, the aerospace market has truly benefitted from the use of carbon fiber. It has since been used to make commercial aircraft, helicopters, military defense aircraft, and also some of NASA's space shuttles.
- Automobiles:
Carbon fiber has a great role to play in the automobile industry, especially when it comes to the performance and design of their cars. While many exotic cars are making the car shell and chassis entirely out of carbon fiber, it sure is expensive. This is why more common uses in the automobile industry include making body panels, engine parts, and certain interior inserts.
- Medical Devices:
One of the main properties of carbon fiber is its radiolucency. This means that it becomes transparent or invisible to x-rays and other imaging devices. This allows the medical industry to use it in making devices like scanner covers, radiological suite floors, and furniture. It is also a great composite to make orthopedic inserts and other prosthetic parts, given its durability and lightweight.
How Is Carbon Fiber Manufactured?
While many know about the different products made from carbon fiber, they seldom understand the intricacy and challenges that carbon fiber manufacturing companies have to face in the preliminary stages. Here are some details that can help you get a better idea.
Raw Materials Required
Carbon fiber is mainly made from organic polymers, which have long strings of molecules, typically bonded by carbon atoms. This raw material is also known as the precursor. While 90% of carbon fibers get made with a process called polyacrylonitrile (PAN), the other 10% uses petroleum pitch or rayon.
The kind of gases and liquids in the manufacturing process is what decides the quality of the product. Manufacturers will often use proprietary combinations and formulas to ensure they produce the most efficient modulus.
Manufacturing Process
Manufacturing carbon fiber is a lengthy process and consists of both mechanical and chemical processes. Firstly, they take the precursor and draw them into long strands. The precursor is then held at extreme temperature, making them shake, and all the non-carbon atoms drop. However, to ensure the precursor does not burn in the high temperatures used, they get heated in an oxygen-free chamber.
With the carbonization over, the fiber left is a long, tightly interlocked chain of carbon atoms. These fibers are then woven or combined with other materials before molding them into the desired shapes. Here mentioned are the five stages of the more common PAN procedure.
- Spinning:
This is the first stage in which all the raw materials get mixed with the PAN powder and spun into fibers. The fibers then get a wash and are further stretched to align the molecules with the fiber.
- Stabilizing:
This stage involves chemically treating the fibers in order to attain a more stable linear atomic bonding.
- Carbonizing:
In the third phase, the stabilized fibers are heated at temperatures as high as 5,500 Fahrenheit to form tightly bonded crystals.
- Surface Treatment:
To improve the bonding properties, the surface of the fibers then gets oxidized with epoxies and certain other materials.
- Sizing:
Lastly, the prepreg composite fibers are wound in cylinders, and these bobbins are then taken to a spinning machine and twisting them into different yarn sizes.
Challenges Faced In the Process
Although typically the manufacturing routine is quite smooth, the companies can sometimes face certain issues, such as:
- The requirement for more cost-friendly repair and recovery
- Without proper regulation, the surface treatment stage can create pits, resulting in faulty fibers
- Unsustainable manufacturing costs for several applications
- Strong electro-conductivity of the composite can cause shorts and arcs in electrical equipment
- Health hazards like breathing and skin irritation
However, with proper rules and regulations, such challenges can also be minimized. That said, carbon fiber technology is still evolving and has a long way to go to use it at its optimal potential. New research is only increasing and diversifying the use and applications of this versatile composite.
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