Manufacturing Process of Carbon Fiber
The conversion of PAN to carbon fibers is normally made in 4 continuous stages- Oxidation
- Carbonisation(Graphitisation)
- Surface treatment
- Sizing
Uses of Carbon Fiber
Carbon fibers are used primarily in composites, these are
structures containing two or more components, in the case of fiber
reinforced composites this is the fiber and a resin. A composite
containing two types of fiber, eg. carbon and glass, is known as a
hybrid composite structure.The origins of textile reinforced composites are linked to the development of glass fibers, which commenced in 1938 by the Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation (USA). Original large scale applications included air filtration, thermal and electrical insulation and the reinforcement of plastics. As the technology of textile reinforced composites expanded, a growing demand from the aerospace industry for composite materials with superior properties emeged. In particular, materials with higher specific strength, higher specific moduli and low density were required. Other desirable properties are good fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability. Carbon fibers were developed to meet this demand.