Carbon Fibre - The Future Material

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

a)Carbon Fiber has High Strength to Weight Ratio (also known as specific strength): Strength of a material is the force per unit area at failure, divided by its density. Any material that is strong AND light has a favourable Strength/weight ratio. Materials such as Aluminium, titanium, magnesium, Carbon and glass fiber, high strength steel alloys all have good strength to weight ratios.(2 NM/KG) b) Carbon Fiber is very Rigid: Rigidity or stiffness of a material is measured by its Young Modulus and measures how much a material deflects under stress. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic is over 4 times stiffer than Glass reinforced plastic, almost 20 times more than pine, 2.5 times greater than aluminium.  c) Carbon fiber is Corrosion Resistant and Chemically Stable: Although carbon fiber themselves do not deteriorate, Epoxy is sensitive to sunlight and needs to be protected. Other matrices (whatever the carbon fiber is imbedded in) might also be reactive. d) Carbon fiber is Electrically ...

Carbon fiber comes in two Weaves: 1 . Unidirectional (all fibers are parallel):  In a 0-degree orientation, aligned with the fibers, unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber provides high bending strength against the progression of forces, which makes it perfect for the carbon-fiber prosthetic blades used by Paralympic sprinters. In a 90-degree orientation, perpendicular to the fibers, it flexes. In either orientation, it has low torsional strength. In all applications, another layer of fabric, such as Perlon, must be laid under and over UD carbon-fiber weave. 2. Bidirectional (fibers cross at a 90-degree angle):  In a 0-degree or a 90-degree orientation, bidirectional carbon fiber features medium bending strength and medium torsional strength. At a 45-degree orientation, it is more flexible and has high torsional strength, which are just the right properties for a transfemoral socket, for example. You can even tailor the composite's properties with fiber length, the type of weave...