Selection guide carbon fibre fabric
| Weight |
Width |
Weave |
Fibre type |
| 68 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
plain |
Torayca® T300B |
| 80 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain |
Tapes from Tenax® UTS50 |
| 80 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain, ± 45 ° |
Tapes from Tenax® UTS50 |
| 93 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
plain |
Torayca® T300B |
| 160 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain |
Tapes from Tenax® UTS50 |
| 160 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
plain |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 160 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 160 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain, spread |
Pyrofil® TR30S |
| 160 g/m2 |
120 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 160 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
plain |
Tenax® HTA 40 or Torayca® T 300 |
| 160 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 160 g/m2 |
100 cm |
twill |
HT |
| 160 g/m2 |
120 cm |
twill |
HT |
| 160 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill, non-shift |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 200 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
plain |
Tenax® HTA 40 or Torayca® T 300 |
| 200 g/m2 |
100 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 200 g/m2 |
120 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 200 g/m2 |
127 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 200 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill, non-shift |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 200 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill |
Tenax® HTA 40 or Torayca® T 300 |
| 200 g/m2 |
120 cm |
twill |
HT |
| 245 g/m2 |
125 cm |
twill |
HT |
| 245 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 245 g/m2 AERO |
100 cm |
twill, non-shift |
Tenax® HTA 40 |
| 400 g/m2 |
125 cm |
plain |
HT |
| 600 g/m2 |
125 cm |
twill |
TORAYCA® T700SC |
Carbon fibre
Further information on R&G eWiki
Carbon fibres (carbon fibres, carbon fibres) are now produced industrially in large quantities. The demand is currently around 70,000 tonnes and growing dynamically. By 2021, the required quantity is expected to be 116,000 tonnes annually (source AVK).
Strength classes of carbon fibres:
|
Designation
|
Tensile strength
(MPa)
|
Tensile modulus
(GPa)
|
Elongatiom at break
(%)
|
|
HT
|
High Tenacity
|
3500 - 4500
|
230 - 240
|
1.8 - 2.0
|
|
IM
|
Intermediate Modulus
|
4000 - 5500
|
280 - 300
|
1.8 - 2.0
|
|
HM
|
High Modulus
|
4000 - 4500
|
370 - 430
|
1.1 - 1.3
|
|
UHM
|
Ultra High Modulus
|
2600 - 3800
|
> 600
|
0.3 - 0.6
|
Comparative strength data
Carbon fibres are mainly used for the production of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). In common usage, terms such as CFRP, carbon, graphite(e), carbon fibre and carbon fibre stand for duromer plastics reinforced with carbon fibre (epoxy resin, polyester resin, vinyl ester resin, phenolic resin).
The individual carbon fibre has a diameter of about 5-9 micrometres (for comparison, a human hair around 50 micrometres). From these filaments (elementary threads), usually 1,000 to 48,000 filaments are combined into a yarn or roving.
Rolled onto spools, they are further processed into textile semi-finished products such as woven fabrics, scrims, ribbons, braided tubes, etc.
With simultaneous impregnation with resins (polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy resin), CFRP profiles and tubes can be manufactured using winding and pultrusion systems.
Carbon fibre yarn construction
1k = 1000 Filaments per thread
3k = 3000 Filaments per thread
6k = 6000 Filaments per thread
12k = 12000 Filaments per thread
24k = 24000 Filaments per thread
50k = 50000 Filaments per thread
The higher the number of filaments per thread, the heavier the fabric. For example, 1k is used for charcoal fabric 93 g/m², 3k for charcoal fabric with 160, 204, 245 g/m² grammage etc..
Carbon fibre fabrics and carbon fibre non-wovens available from R&G
Selection of carbon fabrics and carbon non-wovens
Spread-Tow Carbon fabrics
Spread Tow fabric enhances the performance of your fibre composite components and provides both weight reduction and surface quality that enables a new, unique design aesthetic. The fabric is drapeable and easy to handle during insertion and cutting.
Processing information Spread Tow
Hybrid fabrics of carbon / aramid and design fabrics
Mixed-fibre fabrics can complement each other in their properties and are particularly recommended for certain highly stressed and impact-stressed components (e.g. motorbike racing fairings, model ship hulls, surfboards, etc.). A carbon/aramid laminate obtains high stiffness and good compressive strength from the carbon fibre, and increased impact strength from the aramid fibre. Common combinations are carbon/aramid and carbon/glass.
Properties of carbon fibres:
1. Mechanical and dynamic:
• High strength
• High modulus of elasticity
• Low density
• Low creep tendency
• Good vibration damping
• Low material fatigue
Strengths exceed those of most metals and other fibre composites. The elongation of CFRP is fully elastic, fatigue resistance and vibration damping are excellent.
2. Chemical:
• Chemically inert
• Non corrosive
• High resistance to acids, alkalis and organic solvents
• arbon fibres absorb practically no water
3. Thermical:
• Low thermal expansion
• Low thermal conductivity
Very low coefficient of thermal expansion, which gives CFRP high dimensional stability.
Carbon fibres are incombustible. They are stable up to 3000 °C under oxygen exclusion; with oxygen, oxidation takes place from approx. 400 °C, which leads to loss of strength.
4. Elektromagnetic:
• Low X-ray absorption
• Non magnetic
5. Electric:
• Good electrical conductivity
Areas of application for carbon fibres
• Sports equipment construction (bicycles, model making, fishing rods, rackets of all kinds, skis, surfboards, etc.)
• Motor sports (Formula 1 monocoques, body parts)
• Vehicle construction (body parts, chassis, e-mobility)
• Boat building (masts, hulls)
• Aircraft construction (complete aircraft structures)
• Construction (bridges, design elements)
• Musical instruments (stringed and plucked instruments)
The processing of carbon fibres
In order to be able to use the excellent static and dynamic strengths, the fibres are combined into a composite material by embedding them in a resin matrix (usually epoxy resin).
When processed into laminates, carbon fibres are comparable to textile glass products. Layer by layer, the cut fabric is impregnated with epoxy resin, for example, to produce a laminate.
Unlike glass fabric, which becomes transparent when properly wetted, carbon fibre remains uniformly black. Air bubbles and unimpregnated areas cannot be detected. Defective spots must be avoided by working carefully with a laminating brush and roller.
Hand laminate
The laminating resin should be warmed to room temperature (20 °C) so that it is thin enough to wet the fibres completely. Good wetting, without air pockets, is crucial for the subsequent mechanical properties of the laminate.
Other processes that offer very high fibre contents and good surfaces for building component laminates are: Vacuum bagging, resin injection, pressing method, autoclave pressing
CFRP material testing
Both destructive and non-destructive testing methods are used to test fibre composite structures.
Destructive testing is used, for example, to test the breaking load of the material or the breaking behaviour.
Non-destructive testing methods (e.g. ultrasonic or acoustic testing), enable the localisation of defects such as delaminations, blowholes or air bubbles.
Bonding agent for carbon fibres
To achieve the best possible adhesion of the resin to the fibre, all R&G carbon fabrics are impregnated with an epoxy-containing preparation. The proportion is 1.3 % of the fabric weight. We recommend epoxy resins as matrix, but processing with polyester resins is also possible.
Slide bonding of carbon fibre fabrics
To prevent the threads from coming loose during cutting, the fabric can be shear-strengthened during production with an additionally applied, resin-friendly binder. The drapeability is retained as far as possible! R&G also supplies various carbon fabrics with this sliding reinforcement as an option. This material offers advantages especially in the production of optical CFRP components and when cutting torsion layers (± 45°). From approx. 100 m², any carbon fabric can be slide-bonded ex works. Due to its binder, the fabric can be thermoplastically formed and bonded with hot air. This process can be reversed at will. Layer alignment in multi-layer constructions takes place without thread displacement. The wettability of epoxy resins as well as the resin flow are not negatively affected. During curing, the EP binder melts and cross-links homogeneously with the matrix above its melting temperature (melting range 103 - 115 °C). If curing takes place below the melting temperature of the binder, it will not cross-link but will also not hinder the fibre-matrix adhesion.
Instruction for the processing of non-shift carbon fabrics
Special features
Carbon filament fabrics must never be bent or processed with sharp-edged tools such as metal disc rollers. Damage to the filaments will inevitably result in predetermined breaking points. Folded carbon fabrics should be avoided when purchasing in favour of rolled pieces.
Storage of carbon fibre fabrics
According to DIN 65147, carbon fibre fabrics for aerospace applications should be stored horizontally in dry, preferably temperature-controlled rooms, protected from light, so that no external pressure is exerted.
Carbon fibre safety instructions
Carbon fibres, fibre fragments and fibre abrasion have some special properties:
• Exposure to electrical equipment should be avoided due to electrical conductivity.
• Irritation may occur if the skin is exposed.
• Wear suitable protective clothing as a precaution
• Abrasion in the form of respirable dust does not have a fibrous structure and is, therefore, to be classified as inert dust
Specification of carbon fibre fabrics
R&G supplies fabrics and rovings mainly made of Tenax® carbon fibres. Most of the wide fabrics are manufactured according to DIN 65 147 T1 and T2 (aviation standard) and the QSF-B guidelines (aviation quality assurance system).
