Carbon fiber is a strong, lightweight, and stiff material that is made from thin, strong crystalline filaments of carbon. It is made by heating and stretching strands of carbon until they become long, thin fibers, which are then woven or braided together to form a fabric. Carbon fiber materials are known for their high strength and low weight, and they are often used in a variety of applications where these properties are important, such as in the aerospace, marine, and automotive industries, as well as in sporting goods and other consumer products.

Carbon fiber can be used in many forms, including woven fabrics, braids, and unidirectional sheets. They are commonly combined with resins or metals to create composite materials that have even more desirable properties. Carbon fiber products are often used as a substitute for steel or other traditional materials to reduce weight and improve the performance of a structure or product.

Fibre Glast offers a wide selection of carbon fiber reinforcements, including fabric, sleeves, tow, and tape. We take great measures to ensure that all products we handle are First Quality and manufactured to the highest standards for maximized strength and perfect cosmetics.

No matter what carbon fiber product you select, it should always be used with the appropriate resin system. To maximize strength properties for your carbon part, we suggest you use an epoxy resin like the Fibre Glast System 2000. When combined, they will produce high quality, stiff, reinforced parts.

Click on a Carbon Fiber image below to get more information and view pricing.

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Carbon fiber materials and composites are the first choices of many industries because of their high tensile strength, stiffness, strength-to weight ratio, temperature tolerance, chemical resistance, and overall high-quality construction. Considering all their advantages, carbon fiber products are inexpensive when compared to similar fibers.

  1. Advantages: The use of carbon fiber materials offers several advantages. They provide high strength and stiffness while maintaining low weight, leading to improved performance and fuel efficiency in aerospace and automotive applications. Carbon fiber materials also offer design flexibility, allowing for complex shapes and structures to be created. Additionally, they have excellent fatigue resistance, impact resistance, and electromagnetic transparency.
  2. Limitations: While carbon fiber materials have many benefits, they also have some limitations. Carbon fiber composites can be more expensive compared to traditional materials like fiberglass. Additionally, carbon fiber composites can be brittle and susceptible to delamination or damage under certain conditions.

Carbon Fiber Material Uses and Industries

Carbon fiber products are commonly used in many industries that require a material offering the high quality and strength that is inherent in carbon fiber materials. Some of these industries and their applications include:

  • Military: The military is one place where strength and high quality are an absolute must. Some of its applications include ballistic Kevlar protection, carbon stiffening structures, and tactical handguards and scopes.
  • Aerospace industries: Strength and weight savings are highly valued in the aerospace industry. Some of its applications include turbine fan blades, tie rods, and compression struts.
  • Industrial: Industrial applications call for the reliability and strength that carbon fiber materials offer. Some of the uses include robotic arms, impact protection equipment, and lighting supports.
  • Sports: Lightweight means speed, which is why high-quality bicycle frames are made from carbon fiber. Also, motorcycle racers need protection and frequently choose racing gloves made from carbon fiber.

Carbon Fiber Products

Fibre Glast offers high-quality carbon fiber products for many applications.

  • Fabric: Carbon fiber fabrics come in twill weave, plain weave, satin weave, and unidirectional. All of the fabrics feature the same strength, stiffness, and high-quality construction of all of our carbon fiber products.
  • Sleeves: Carbon fiber sleeves easily slide over cylinders to create straight or tapered tubing. They conform to the shape of the product and improve performance while minimizing weight.
  • Tapes: While there is no adhesive on them, these carbon fiber tapes are called tapes because of their shape. They are used for the selective reinforcement of carbon fiber components.
  • Tow: Carbon fiber tow is used to weave together carbon fiber fabrics. It can also be used to make wound parts, pultrusion, chopped carbon fibers, or as a local reinforcement.
  • Veil: While not intended for structural use, graphite veils are used as corrosion-resistant barriers. They can also reduce the build-up of static electricity in applications that involve explosive liquids or gases.

Fibre Glast Developments has over 65 years of experience in distributing fiberglass and composite materials like carbon fiber. We are ISO-certified and ensure that our product specifications are of the highest quality. Our express order system assures same-day shipping if you order by 2:30 pm EST. All orders are backed by our First Quality Guarantee, which ensures that our products are manufactured to the highest standards. All products are certified and traceable.

Learn more about carbon fiber and other composite materials from our experts at Fibre Glast. We have a free Learning Center featuring white papers, videos, charts, photo galleries, and more. Get started with our free white papers, including About Reinforcements and About Prepregs.

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