The Structure Of Automotive Carbon Fiber

Each carbon fiber is composed of thousands of smaller carbon fibers, with a diameter of about 5 to 8 microns. Carbon fiber is very similar to graphite at the atomic level, and is composed of layers of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern. The difference between the two lies in the connection between layers. Graphite is a crystalline structure, and its interlayer connection is loose, while carbon fiber is not a crystalline structure, and the interlayer connection is irregular. This prevents slippage and enhances the strength of the material.
Carbon fiber is a new material with excellent mechanical properties. Its specific gravity is less than 1/4 of that of steel. The tensile strength of carbon fiber resin composite materials is generally above 3500MPa, which is 7 to 9 times that of steel. The tensile elastic modulus is 23000~43000MPa, which is also higher than steel. However, carbon fiber materials only show high strength along the fiber axis, but their impact resistance is poor and they are easily damaged. Therefore, when they are manufactured into structural components, they often take advantage of their tensile resistance and light weight to avoid making parts that withstand side impacts.