Carbon fiber reinforced plastic or (CFRP or CRP), is a strong, light and very expensive composite material or fiber reinforced plastic. Similar to glass-reinforced plastic, which is sometimes simply called fiberglass, the composite material is commonly referred to by the name of its reinforcing fibers (carbon fiber), an example of part-for-whole metonymy. The plastic is most often epoxy, but other plastics, such as polyester, vinylester or nylon, are also sometimes used. Some composites contain both carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforcement. Less commonly, the term graphite-reinforced plastic is also used. Composite materials (or composites for short) are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials that remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level while forming a single component. ... Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) is a composite material comprising a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres usually of glass, carbon, or aramid (and in the case of Duroplast even cotton or wool) and is commonly used in aerospace, automotive and marine industries. ... Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), is a composite material or fibre reinforced plastic made of a plastic reinforced by fine fibers made of glass. ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... Fiber or fibre[1] is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. ... Carbon fiber composite is a strong, light and very expensive material. ... In rhetoric and cognitive linguistics, metonymy (in Greek μετά (meta) = after/later and όνομα (onoma) = name) (pronounced //) is the use of a single characteristic to identify a more complex entity. ... Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks) when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in the United... Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ... SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ... Vinylester matrix materials offer an alternative to polyester and epoxy materials. ... Nylon represents a family of synthetic polymers, a thermoplastic material, invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont. ...

It has many applications in aerospace and automotive fields, as well as in sailboats, and notably in modern bicycles, where these qualities are of importance. It is becoming increasingly common in small consumer goods as well, such as laptop computers, tripods, fishing rods, racquet sports frames, stringed instrument bodies, classical guitar strings, and drum shells. Look up aerospace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Car redirects here. ... Traditional wooden cutter beating. ... This racing bicycle is built using lightweight, shaped aluminium tubing and carbon fiber stays and forks. ... In economics Final goods are goods that are ultimately consumed rather than used in the production of another good. ... An Acer laptop with touchpad A laptop computer or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook) is a small mobile personal computer, usually weighing from one to three kilograms, depending on size, materials and other factors. ... The IBM ThinkCentre A Series is a popular line of computers. ... Tripod can refer to: A tripod supporting a television camera. ... A fiberglass fishing pole and reel circa 1997. ... Squash racquet and ball Racquetball racquet and ball Tennis racquets and balls A racquet (or racket) is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... Classical guitar A classical guitar, also called a Spanish guitar, is a musical instrument from the guitar family. ... A vibration in a string is a wave. ... Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863 Several American Indian-style drums for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian. ...

Composite

The choice of matrix can have a profound effect on the properties of the finished composite. One common plastic for this application is graphite epoxy, and materials produced with this methodology are generically referred to as composites. The material is produced by layering sheets of carbon fiber cloth into a mold in the shape of the final product. The alignment and weave of the cloth fibers is important for the strength of the resulting material. In professional applications, all air is evacuated from the mold, but in applications where cost is more important than structural rigidity, this step is skipped. The mold is then filled with epoxy and is heated or air cured. The resulting stiff panel will not corrode in water and is very strong, especially for its weight. If the mold contains air, small air bubbles will be present in the material, reducing strength. For hobby or custom applications the cloth can instead be draped over a mold, and the epoxy is "painted" over it, however because of the resulting lack of strength, this is usually only used for cosmetic details. Molding (US) or moulding (UK) can be: moulding or molding, a decorative feature used in interior design and architecture molding or moulding, a process used in manufacturing This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks) when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in the United...

The large amount of (often manual) work required to manufacture composites has hitherto limited their use in applications where a high number of complicated parts is required.

The chemistry and manufacturing techniques for thermosetting plastics like epoxy are often poorly suited to mass-production. One potentially cost-saving and performance-enhancing measure involves replacing the epoxy matrix with a thermoplastic material such as nylon or polyketone. Boeing's entry in the Joint Strike Fighter competition included a Delta-shaped carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic wing, but difficulties in fabrication of this part contributed to Lockheed Martin winning the competition. Chemistry (derived from alchemy) is the science of matter at or near the atomic scale. ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, by means of tools and a processing medium, and including all intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of component parts (semi-manufactures). It is a large branch of industry and of secondary production. ... Thermosetting plastics (thermosets) refer to a variety of polymer materials that cure, through the addition of energy, to a stronger form. ... Mass Production (also called Flow Production) is the production of large amounts of standardized products on production lines. ... A thermoplastic is a material that is plastic or deformable, melts to a liquid when heated and freezes to a brittle, glassy state when cooled sufficiently. ... Polyketones are a family of high-performance thermoplastic polymers. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. ... The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a fighter plane currently in early development by Lockheed Martin (with partners Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS.) The primary customers are the United States armed forces and the United Kingdom (RN and RAF), but the Netherlands... The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a fighter plane currently in early development by Lockheed Martin (with partners Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS.) The primary customers are the United States armed forces and the United Kingdom (RN and RAF), but the Netherlands... Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ...

Process

The process in which most CFRP is made varies, depending on the piece being created, the finish (outside gloss) required, and how many of this particular piece are going to be produced.

For simple pieces that relatively few copies are needed of (1-2 per day) a vacuum bag can be used. A fiberglass or aluminum mold is polished, waxed, and has a release agent applied before the fabric and resin are applied and the vacuum is pulled and set aside to allow the piece to cure (harden). There are two ways to apply the resin to the fabric in a vacuum mold. One is a wet layup, where the two-part resin is mixed and applied before being laid in the mold and placed in the bag. The other is a resin induction system, where the dry fabric and mold are placed inside the bag while the vacuum pulls the resin through a small tube into the bag, then through a tube with holes or something similar to evenly spread the resin throughout the fabric. Wire loom works perfectly for a tube that requires holes inside the bag. Both of these methods of applying resin require hand work to spread the resin evenly for a glossy finish without pin-holes. A third method of constructing composite materials is known as a dry layup. Here, the carbon fiber material is already impregnated with resin (pre-preg) and is applied to the mold in a similar fashion to adhesive film. The assembly is then placed in a vacuum to cure. The dry layup method has least amount of resin waste and can achieve lighter constructions than wet layup.

A quicker method uses a compression mold. This is a two-piece (male and female) mold usually made out of fiberglass or aluminum that is bolted together with the fabric and resin between the two. The benefit is that, once it is bolted together, it is relatively clean and can be moved around or stored without a vacuum until after curing. However, the molds require a lot of material to hold together through many uses under that pressure. Many CFRP parts are created with a single layer of carbon fabric, and filled with fiberglass. A chopper gun can be used to quickly create these types of parts. Once a thin shell is created out of carbon fiber, the chopper gun is a pneumatic tool that cuts fiberglass from a roll and sprays resin at the same time, so that the fiberglass and resin are mixed on the spot. The resin is either external mix, where the hardener and resin are sprayed separately, or internal, where they are mixed internally, which requires cleaning after every use.

For difficult or impossible shapes (such as a tube) a filament winder can be used to make pieces.

Automotive uses

CFRP is used extensively in automobile racing, most especially in Formula One and Indycar racing. The high cost of carbon fiber is mitigated by the material's unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio, and low weight is essential for high-performance automobile racing. Racecar manufacturers have also developed methods to give carbon fiber pieces strength in a certain direction, making it strong in a load-bearing direction, but weak in directions where little or no load would be placed on the member. Conversely, manufacturers developed omnidirectional carbon fiber weaves that apply strength in all directions. This type of carbon fiber assembly is most widely used in the "safety cell" monocoque chassis assembly of high-performance racecars. Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... IndyCar Series Logo IndyCar is most often used as a generic term for American Championship Car Racing, a form of open-wheel auto racing. ...

Several supercars over the past few decades have incorporated CFRP extensively in their manufacture, using it for their monocoque chassis as well as other components. Examples include the Koenigsegg ccR, McLaren F1, Bugatti Veyron, Bugatti EB110, Pagani Zonda, Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT. The Porsche Carrera GT, the highest selling supercar at its level of performance. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ... Koenigsegg CCR Koenigsegg Automotive AB is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance cars based initially in Olofström, later moving to Margretetorp, just outside Ängelholm. ... The McLaren F1 is a supercar engineered and produced by McLaren Cars, a British company subsidiary of the McLaren Group that, among others, owns the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bugatti EB110SS The Bugatti EB110 is an exclusive supercar from Bugatti, one of the most celebrated marques in automotive history. ... The Pagani Zonda is a supercar made by Italian car maker Pagani. ... The Ferrari Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the companys founder, Enzo Ferrari. ... The Porsche Carrera GT is a sports car, regarded as a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany. ...

Until recently, the material has had limited use in mass-produced cars because of the expense involved in terms of materials, equipment, and the relatively limited pool of individuals with expertise in working with it. Recently, several mainstream vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors and BMW have started to use carbon fiber technology in everyday road cars. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ...

Chevrolet is using carbon fiber in its flagship sports car, the Corvette. A special high performance version of the Corvette, dubbed the Z06, includes carbon fiber front bodywork for reduced weight and added rigidity. Chevrolet, or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ... The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car first manufactured by Chevrolet in 1953. ... The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car first manufactured by Chevrolet in 1953. ...

BMW produces carbon fiber reinforced plastics in its Landshut plant. To make the roof of the BMW M3 CSL, for example, five layers of carbon fiber cloth are placed in an 1,800 ton press, where epoxy is resin transfer molded and heat-cured in a robot-automated process. The resulting roof is half the weight of an equivalent steel roof. BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... Landshut is a city in Bavaria, Germany, the capital of the Niederbayern region. ... ASIMO, a humanoid robot manufactured by Honda. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ...

Use of the material has been more readily adopted by low-volume manufacturers like TVR who use it primarily for creating body-panels for some of their high-end cars due to its increased strength and decreased weight compared with the glass-reinforced plastic they use for the majority of their products. TVRs logo TVR 280i TVR S series 1986 TVR 350i 1986 TVR Chimaera TVR Cerbera TVR is a manufacturer of sports cars, located in Blackpool in Lancashire, England. ... Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), is a composite material or fibre reinforced plastic made of a plastic reinforced by fine fibers made of glass. ...

Civil engineering applications

CFRP has recently become somewhat of a hot topic in the field of Structural Engineering, surprisingly enough, due to cost-effectiveness. For example, many old bridges in the world were designed to tolerate far lower service loads than they are subject to today, and compared with the cost of replacing the bridge, reinforcing it with CFRP is quite cheap. Due to the incredible stiffness of CFRP, it can be used underneath spans to help prevent excessive deflections, or wrapped around beams to limit shear stresses. As of 2005, the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne, is the largest bridge in the world to be reinforced with carbon fiber laminates [1]. Taipei 101, the worlds tallest building as of 2004. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Stiffness is the resistance of an elastic body to deflection by an applied force. ... Shear stress is a stress state where the shape of a material tends to change (usually by sliding forces -- torque by transversely-acting forces) without particular volume change. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The West Gate Bridge, Melbourne The West Gate Bridge is a large cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ...

Much research is also now being done using CFRP as internal reinforcement in concrete structures, such as beams and bridge decks. The material has many advantages over conventional steel, mainly that it is much stiffer and corrosion resistant. There is, however, some hesitation among the engineering community about implementing these new materials until more real-world evaluation has been done.

Other applications

An area where CFRP has found good use is in the manufacture of bicycles, especially high-end racing bicycles. The vibration absorbing properties of CFRP make for a less harsh ride, while offering weight reduction compared to traditional bicycle tubing materials such as aluminum or steel. The choice of weave can be carefully selected to maximize stiffness. Exploitation of the variety of shapes CFRP can be built into has further increased stiffness and also allowed aerodynamic considerations into tube profiles. CFRP frames, forks, handlebars, seatposts and crank arms are becoming commonplace on medium- and higher-priced bicycles. CFRP forks are used on most new racing bicycles. An aluminum racing bicycle made by Raleigh and built using Shimano components. ... Steel frame and carbon fiber fork of 2000 Lemond Zurich racing bicycle A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and other components are fitted. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... This article is about the branch of Physics. ... bicycle fork A bicycle fork is the portion of a bicycle that holds the front wheel and allows one to steer. ... Handlebars usually refer to the steering mechanism for bicycles and motorcycles; the equivalent of a steering wheel, though used in conjunction with the riders balance or centre of gravity to steer. ... The seatpost (silver) connects the seat to the frame (red) A bicycle seatpost or seatpin is an adjustable tube that extends upwards from the bicycle frame to the seat. ... A Shimano Deore crankset, drive-side showing crankarm, spider, and three chainrings The crankset is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the riders legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain, which in turn drives the rear wheel. ...

Another widespread use of carbon fiber is in the manufacture of fishing rods. Its high flexibility and low weight make it ideal to feel every bite.

Most modern rowing shells are made of carbon fiber, which significantly lowers the weight of the boat. A coxless pair which is a sweep-oar boat. ... In watercraft, a shell or racing shell is an extremely narrow, and often disproportionately long, rowing boat specifically intended for racing or exercise. ...

Recycling

An important usage concern involves the material's entire lifecycle, as carbon fiber reinforced plastics have an almost infinite lifetime. Some companies [2] are succeeding in recycling this carbon fiber. The recycling strategy centers on milling, compounding or shredding the reclaimed carbon fiber, and finding use for this end product in various industrial applications (including carbon fiber applications less stringent than those required by, say, the aerospace industry). Look up aerospace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Supply constraints

The market price of CFRP saw a 150% increase during 2005, primarily due to increased use in the civil aerospace industry. Allocation and contracts to Boeing Commercial Airplanes' 787 and Airbus' A350 and A380 caused supply constraints, and suppliers such as Toray Industries raised prices to suit. As the aerospace companies were locked-in with long-term contracts, users of CFRP in other applications have suffered the brunt of the price hike.^[1] Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), based in Renton Washington, is a unit of The Boeing Company, consisting of the Seattle-based former Boeing Airplane Company (the civil airliner division), as well as the Long Beach-based Douglas Aircraft division of the former McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The Boeing 787, or Dreamliner, is a mid-sized wide body passenger airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and scheduled to enter service in 2008. ... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ... Airbus A350-900 concept “A350” redirects here. ... The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. ...

References

The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Carbon fiber
• Graphite
• Kevlar
• Fibreglass

Carbon fiber composite is a strong, light and very expensive material. ... Graphite (named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789, from the Greek γραφειν: to draw/write, for its use in pencils) is one of the allotropes of carbon. ... Kevlar is the DuPont Companys brand name for material made out of synthetic fiber of poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide which is constructed of para-aramid fibers that the company claims is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, while being lightweight, flexible and comfortable. ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Carbon fibre

• Japan Carbon Fibre Manufacturers Association (English)
• Carbon fibre page from the Department of Polymer Science at USM
• BMW's use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics
• Vacuum bagging