COMPOSITE MATERIALS

AND STRUCTURES
CARBON FIBERS

-VIVEK.S
WHAT ARE FIBERS?
 Long strands of molecules interwoven to form
a linear, string-like structure are known
as ‘Fibers’.
 Fiber is a natural or synthetic substance that
is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are
often used in the manufacture of other
materials. The strongest engineering materials
often incorporate fibers.
 Eg: carbon fiber and ultra-high-molecular-
weight polyethylene.
CARBON FIBERS
 Carbon fibers are fibers about
5–10 micrometers in diameter
and composed mostly of
carbon atoms.
 Carbon Fiber is a polymer and
is sometimes known as
graphite fiber.
 It is a very strong material that
is also very lightweight. Carbon
fiber is five-times stronger than
steel and twice as stiff.
 Though carbon fiber is stronger
and stiffer than steel, it is
lighter than steel; making it the
ideal manufacturing material
for many parts.
PROCESS OF MAKING CARBON FIB
ERS
 Carbon fiber is made from a process that is part
chemical and part mechanical .
 It starts by drawing long strands of fibers and then
heating them to a very high temperature of about
200-300°C without allowing contact to oxygen to
prevent the fibers from burning.
 This is when the carbonization takes place at a
temperature of about 1,000-3,000° C, which is
when the atoms inside of the fibers vibrate
violently, expelling most of the non-carbon atoms.
 This leaves a fiber composed of long, tightly inter-
locked chains of carbon atoms with only a few non-
carbon atoms remaining.
 Treating the surface: After carbonizing, the
fibers have a surface that does not bond well with
the epoxies and other materials used in composite
materials. To give the fibers better bonding
properties, their surface is slightly oxidized. The
addition of oxygen atoms to the surface provides
better chemical bonding properties and also
etches and roughens the surface for better
mechanical bonding properties.
ADVANTAGES OF CARBON FIBERS

 The major advantages of carbon fibers are, it

has:
 High stiffness,
 High tensile strength,
 Low weight,
 High chemical resistance,
 High temperature tolerance and
 Low thermal expansion.
DISADVANTAGES OF CARBON
FIBERS
 Few major disadvantages of carbon fibers are:
 Carbon fiber will break or shatter,
 Relative cost.
APPLICATIONS OF CARBBON
FIBERS
 Carbon fibers are used in manufacturing
of many different types of materials such
as:
 Bike frames
 Aircraft Wings
 Automotive drive shafts
 Tubing
 Containers
 Propeller blades
 Car components
 Carbon fiber composites could reduce passenger car
weight by 50%, which would improve fuel efficiency
by nearly 35% without compromising the
performance of the car.
CARBON FIBERS IN AIRCRAFTS

 Composites, especially reinforced with carbon

fiber, are light, strong and stiff. They
enable aircraft to be lighter and more fuel
efficient, which benefits the environment.
 Carbon fiber reinforced composites have already
replaced aluminum as the main material in the
fuselages of state-of-the-art airliners like the
Airbus A350 XWB and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
 While the use of carbon fiber has allowed the
creation of sweeping wing tips, which can cut fuel
consumption by up to 5%.
 One development of this research has been
the trailing edges of the wing of Airbus's latest
plane, the A350.
 This is the part that extends back and down
from the wing as a plane comes into land.
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS
There are three areas of concern in the production and
handling of carbon fibers: dust inhalation, skin irritation,
and the effect of fibers on electrical equipment.
During processing, pieces of carbon fibers can break off
and circulate in the air in the form of a fine dust. Industrial
health studies have shown that, unlike some asbestos
fibers, carbon fibers are too large to be a health hazard
when inhaled. They can be an irritant, however, and
people working in the area should wear protective masks.
The carbon fibers can also cause skin irritation, especially
on the back of hands and wrists. The sizing materials used
to coat the fibers often contain chemicals that can cause
severe skin reactions .