Carbon fiber is a strong, lightweight material. While it was first created in the 1860s, it wasn’t widely used until 1963. Carbon fiber is created through a process called carbonization. Carbonization involves heating up long fibers of a material without any exposure to oxygen. Rather than burning, most of the non-carbon atoms are expelled. This creates a thin filament made up of tightly-knit carbon atoms.

The result is a polymer fiber ten times stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum. It has good electrical and thermal conductivity, while being highly resistant to fire. It doesn’t expand much when heated. Carbon fiber is extremely valuable to many industries, including aerospace, aviation, automotive, medical, and construction. More uses are found for it every day. It’s expected to become even more prevalent as less costly methods of creating it are discovered.

Carbon fiber comes in a few different types. The difference between them can get a little confusing. These are the typical forms carbon fiber can be found in.

Carbon Fiber Fabric

The raw carbon fiber that hasn’t been infused with epoxy is called carbon fiber fabric. This is composed of individual strands, or tows, that are woven together. Each tow contains thousands of carbon filaments. There are many different weaves used for carbon fiber fabric. The most common are plain, twill, and harness satin. Certain weaves are better suited for some applications than others.

Raw carbon fiber fabric alone is not used for much. Some manufacturers have begun using it to make clothing, although it costs a lot to make. For most of its uses, carbon fiber fabric is typically infused with resin to become rigid.

Wrapping an object with carbon fiber fabric and infusing it with resin is called skinning. The result looks like an item made of carbon fiber, but because it’s simply a covering, the finished product is not lightweight as a true carbon fiber part would be. This can be fine for some applications. It would not be useful for something that needs to be lightweight, like a tennis racket. To create solid carbon fiber parts, the fabric is laid into a mold and infused with resin. The result is both strong and lightweight, useful for things like bicycle frames, wind turbines, and aircraft parts.

Carbon Fiber Sheets

Carbon fiber sheets are pieces of carbon fiber that have already been infused with epoxy and cured. This turns them into flat, rigid sheets. More layers of carbon fiber are used to create a thicker, rigid sheets. The thinner sheets retain some level of flexibility. They range in thickness from about 0.010 inches to 2 inches.

Thinner sheets are often used for decorative purposes. Thicker sheets are more typically used for structural components. For example, Sole Source Underwater uses thicker sheets of carbon fiber to reinforce piers, docks, bridges, and many other structures. 

Carbon Fiber Vinyl

Carbon fiber vinyl is also known as carbon fiber wrap or film. It is sometimes confused with carbon fiber sheets. The difference is that carbon fiber vinyl is made up of imitation carbon fiber. It’s usually a PVC-based vinyl and typically comes with an adhesive backing.

As it’s not real carbon fiber, it has no practical benefits. It is almost exclusively used for cosmetic purposes, such as wrapping vehicles. It creates the appearance of carbon fiber far less costly than the true material.

The Future of Carbon Fiber

The benefits of carbon fiber have already been seen in many industries. Carbon fiber is expected to grow rapidly in popularity over the next decade. It has major potential in clean energy solutions. With lighter-weight vehicles and transportation, carbon fiber can improve fuel efficiency considerably. It could also reduce production costs and improve the performance of wind turbines, electronics, and power lines. However, new and innovative ways of using carbon fiber are still being discovered, and its future is full of potential.

If you need underwater structures reinforced and are considering carbon fiber wrapping as a solution, Sole Source Underwater is happy to help. Get a free quote by messaging us here or give us a call at 401-712-2700.