HISTORY OF CARBON FIBER
HISTORY OF CARBON FIBER Carbon fiber dates back to 1879. Inventor Thomas Edison used carbon fibers as filaments for early light bulbs (Hegde, 2004). Although these fibers lacked the tensile strength of today's carbon fibers, their considerable tolerance to heat made these fibers ideal for conducting electricity. Edison’s carbon fibers were made out of cellulose-based materials, such as cotton or bamboo, unlike the petroleum-based precursors used today. Carbonization took place by baking bamboo filaments at high temperatures in a controlled atmosphere. This is a method known as "pyrolysis," which is still used today. The resulting carbonized bamboo filaments were fire-resistant and capable of enduring the intense heat needed for incandescence. It wasn't until the late 1950's that high tensile strength carbon fibers were discovered. Rayon became the first precursor used to create these modern fibers. Ultimately, it was replaced by more effective materials such as ...