Editing Carbon fibers (section)

==Applications==
[[File:Ray Ban Giant.jpg|thumb|Carbon fiber sunglasses temples and carbon fiber bicycle frame tube]]

Carbon fiber can have higher cost than other materials which has been one of the limiting factors of adoption. In a comparison between [[steel]] and carbon fiber materials for [[Automotive industry|automotive materials]], carbon fiber may be 10-12x more expensive. However, this cost premium has come down over the past decade from estimates of 35x more expensive than steel in the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140805/NEWS/140809971/price-keeping-carbon-fiber-from-mass-adoption|title=Price keeping carbon fiber from mass adoption - Plastics News|last=Bregar|first=Bill|work=Plastics News|date=5 August 2014|publisher=Crain Communications, Inc. |location=Atlanta |access-date=2017-05-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209082227/http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140805/NEWS/140809971/price-keeping-carbon-fiber-from-mass-adoption|archive-date=2016-12-09}}</ref>

===Composite materials===
Carbon fiber is most notably used to reinforce [[composite material]]s, particularly the class of materials known as [[Carbon fiber reinforced polymer|carbon fiber or graphite reinforced polymers]]. Non-polymer materials can also be used as the matrix for carbon fibers. Due to the formation of metal [[carbide]]s and [[corrosion]] considerations, carbon has seen limited success in [[metal matrix composite]] applications.  [[Reinforced carbon-carbon]] (RCC) consists of carbon fiber-reinforced graphite, and is used structurally in high-temperature applications. The fiber also finds use in [[filtration]] of high-temperature gases, as an [[electrode]] with high surface area and impeccable [[corrosion]] resistance, and as an anti-[[Triboelectric effect|static]] component. Molding a thin layer of carbon fibers significantly improves fire resistance of polymers or thermoset composites because a dense, compact layer of carbon fibers efficiently reflects heat.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhao |first1=Z. |last2=Gou |first2=J. |title=Improved fire retardancy of thermoset composites modified with carbon nanofibers|journal= Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. |volume=10 |issue=1 |year=2009|page=015005 |doi=10.1088/1468-6996/10/1/015005|bibcode = 2009STAdM..10a5005Z |pmid=27877268 |pmc=5109595}}</ref>

The increasing use of carbon fiber composites is displacing aluminum from aerospace applications in favor of other metals because of [[galvanic corrosion]] issues.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_07/corrosn.html |title=Design for Corrosion |magazine=Aero |publisher=Boeing |issue=7 |date=July 1999 |last1=Banis |first1=David |last2=Marceau |first2=J. Arthur |last3=Mohaghegh |first3=Michael |access-date=2018-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902081013/http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_07/corrosn.html |archive-date=2013-09-02 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_06_2013_p42-574844.xml&p=2 |first1=Graham |last1=Warwick |first2=Guy |last2=Norris |title=Metallics Make Comeback With Manufacturing Advances |journal=Aviation Week & Space Technology |date=2013-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427133615/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=%2Farticle-xml%2FAW_05_06_2013_p42-574844.xml&p=2 |archive-date=2015-04-27}}</ref> Note, however, that carbon fiber does not eliminate the risk of galvanic corrosion.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_07/corrosn.html |title=Design for Corrosion |magazine=Aero |publisher=Boeing |issue=7 |date=July 1999 |last1=Banis |first1=David |last2=Marceau |first2=J. Arthur |last3=Mohaghegh |first3=Michael |access-date=2018-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902081013/http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_07/corrosn.html |archive-date=2013-09-02 |url-status=live}}</ref> In contact with metal, it forms "a perfect galvanic corrosion cell ..., and the metal will be subjected to galvanic corrosion attack" unless a sealant is applied between the metal and the carbon fiber.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667266921000037 |title=Galvanic activity of carbon fiber reinforced polymers and electrochemical behavior of carbon fiber |magazine=Corrosion Communications |publisher=Elsevier B.V. |issue=1 |date=March 2021 |last1=Song |first1=Guang-Ling |last2=Chi |first2=Zhang |last3=Xiaodong |first3=Chen |volume=1 |pages=26–39 |doi=10.1016/j.corcom.2021.05.003 |access-date=2023-01-22 }}</ref>

Carbon fiber can be used as an additive to asphalt to make electrically conductive asphalt concrete.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Effect of Carbon-Fiber Properties on Volumetrics and Ohmic Heating of Electrically Conductive Asphalt Concrete |first1=Mohammad Ali |last1=Notani |first2=Ali |last2=Arabzadeh |first3=Halil |last3=Ceylan |first4=Sunghwan |last4=Kim |journal=Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering |location=US |volume=31 |issue=9 |pages=04019200 |date=June 2019 |doi= 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002868|s2cid=198395022 }}</ref> Using this composite material in the transportation infrastructure, especially for airport pavement, decreases some winter maintenance problems that lead to flight cancellation or delay due to the presence of ice and snow. Passing current through the composite material 3D network of carbon fibers dissipates thermal energy that increases the surface temperature of the asphalt, which is able to melt ice and snow above it.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Electrically conductive asphalt concrete: An alternative for automating the winter maintenance operations of transportation infrastructure |first1=Ali |last1=Arabzadeh |first2=Mohammad Ali |last2=Notani |first3=Ayoub Kazemiyan |last3=Zadeh |first4=Ali |last4=Nahvi |first5=Alireza |last5=Sassani |first6=Halil |last6=Ceylan |journal=Composites Part B: Engineering |location=US |volume=173 |pages=106985 |date=2019-09-15 |doi=10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.106985|s2cid=189994116 |url=https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1233&context=ccee_pubs }}</ref>

===Textiles===
[[File:Before heated.jpg|thumb|The look of the product before the heating process]]
[[File:Cfk heli slw.jpg|120px|thumb|Tail of a [[radio-controlled helicopter]], made of [[carbon fiber reinforced polymer]]]][[File:MotorcycleRacingGlove.jpg|thumb|Motorcycle racing gloves with carbon fiber protectors for ligaments in fingers]]

Precursors for carbon fibers are [[polyacrylonitrile]] (PAN), [[rayon]] and [[pitch (resin)|pitch]]. Carbon fiber filament yarns are used in several processing techniques: the direct uses are for prepregging, filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, braiding, etc. Carbon fiber yarn is rated by the linear density (weight per unit length; i.e., 1&nbsp;g/1000&nbsp;m = 1&nbsp;[[tex (unit)#Tex|tex]]) or by number of filaments per yarn count, in thousands. For example, 200&nbsp;tex for 3,000&nbsp;filaments of carbon fiber is three times as strong as 1,000&nbsp;carbon filament yarn, but is also three times as heavy. This thread can then be used to [[weaving|weave]] a carbon fiber filament [[textile|fabric]] or [[cloth]]. The appearance of this fabric generally depends on the linear density of the yarn and the weave chosen. Some commonly used types of weave are [[twill]], [[satin weave|satin]] and [[plain weave|plain]]. Carbon filament yarns can also be [[knitting|knitted]] or [[braiding|braided]]. [[Carbon-fiber reinforced polymer|Dry fabric carbon fiber composites (CFRP)]] are typically cut using [[CNC router|CNC digital cutting systems]] equipped with rotating machine knives and [[ultrasonic]] cutting method.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-06 |title=Cutting of Fiber-Reinforced Composites: Overview |url=https://www.sollex.se/en/blog/post/industrial-cutting-of-fiber-reinforced-composites-textiles-prepregs |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Sollex |language=en}}</ref>

===Microelectrodes===

Carbon fibers are used for fabrication of carbon-fiber [[microelectrodes]]. In this application typically a single carbon fiber with diameter of 5–7 μm is sealed in a glass capillary.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pike |first1=Carolyn M. |last2=Grabner |first2=Chad P. |last3=Harkins |first3=Amy B. |title=Fabrication of Amperometric Electrodes |journal=Journal of Visualized Experiments |date=2009-05-04 |issue=27 |pages=1040 |doi=10.3791/1040|pmid=19415069 |pmc=2762914 }}</ref> At the tip the capillary is either sealed with epoxy and polished to make a carbon-fiber disk microelectrode, or the fiber is cut to a length of 75–150 μm to make a carbon-fiber cylinder electrode. Carbon-fiber [[microelectrodes]] are used either in [[amperometry]] or [[fast-scan cyclic voltammetry]] for detection of biochemical signaling.

===Flexible heating===
[[File:Heated jacket.jpg|thumb|right|A DIY carbon fiber heated jacket]]

Despite being known for their electrical conductivity, carbon fibers can carry only very low currents on their own.  When woven into larger fabrics, they can be used to reliably provide (infrared) heating in applications requiring flexible electrical heating elements and can easily sustain temperatures past 100&nbsp;°C.  Many examples of this type of application can be seen in [[DIY]] heated articles of clothing and blankets.  Due to its chemical inertness, it can be used relatively safely amongst most fabrics and materials; however, shorts caused by the material folding back on itself will lead to increased heat production and can lead to a fire.