The main purpose of carbon fiber is to composite with resin, metal, ceramic and other matrices to make structural materials. The comprehensive index of specific strength and specific modulus of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite materials is the highest among existing structural materials. In fields with strict requirements on density, stiffness, weight, fatigue properties, etc., and in situations where high temperature and high chemical stability are required, carbon fiber composite materials have considerable advantages.
Carbon fiber was produced in the early 1950s in response to the needs of cutting-edge science and technology such as rockets, aerospace and aviation. It is now also widely used in sports equipment, textiles, chemical machinery and medical fields. As cutting-edge technology has increasingly stringent requirements on the technical performance of new materials, scientific and technological workers are prompted to continuously strive to improve. In the early 1980s, high-performance and ultra-high-performance carbon fibers appeared one after another, which was another technological leap and also marked that the research and production of carbon fibers had entered an advanced stage.
Composite materials composed of carbon fiber and epoxy resin have become an advanced aerospace material due to their low specific gravity, good rigidity and high strength. Because for every 1 kilogram reduction in the weight of the spacecraft, the launch vehicle can be reduced by 500 kilograms. Therefore, there is a rush to adopt advanced composite materials in the aerospace industry. There is a vertical take-off and landing fighter aircraft. The carbon fiber composite material used in it accounts for 1/4 of the weight of the entire aircraft and 1/3 of the weight of the wings. According to reports, the key components of the three rocket thrusters on the U.S. space shuttle and the advanced MX missile launch tube are all made of advanced carbon fiber composite materials.
Most of the current F1 (Formula One World Championship) car body structures are made of carbon fiber materials. A major selling point of top sports cars is the use of carbon fiber throughout the body to improve aerodynamics and structural strength
Carbon fiber can be processed into fabrics, felts, mats, belts, paper and other materials. In traditional use, in addition to being used as thermal insulation materials, carbon fibers are generally not used alone. They are mostly used as reinforcing materials and added to resin, metal, ceramics, concrete and other materials to form composite materials. Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials can be used as aircraft structural materials, electromagnetic shielding and antistatic materials, artificial ligaments and other body replacement materials, as well as in the manufacture of rocket shells, motor ships, industrial robots, automobile leaf springs and drive shafts, etc.