Introduction to carbon fiber

Carbon fiber is mainly composed of carbon elements, with high temperature resistance, friction resistance, heat conductivity and corrosion resistance, etc., the shape is fibrous and soft, with a diameter of only 5 microns, which is equivalent to 10 to 12 times the strength of a human hair, but the strength is more than 4 times that of aluminum alloy.

Introduction to the properties of Carbon Fiber

1) The specific gravity is light, the density is 1/4 of steel, and 1/2 of aluminum alloy;

2) High strength, tensile strength is more than 3500 MPa, and the specific strength is 10 times that of steel;

3) High modulus, elastic modulus above 230 GPa;

4) Ultra-high temperature resistance, under non-oxidizing atmosphere conditions, can be used at 2000°C;

5) Low temperature resistance, at a low temperature of -180°C, carbon fiber is still elastic;

6) Strong acid resistance, oil resistance, corrosion resistance and durability;

7) The coefficient of thermal expansion is small, the thermal conductivity is large, it is resistant to quenching and quenching, and it will not explode even if the high temperature drops from 3000°C to room temperature suddenly;

8) Good abrasion resistance;

9) Good electrical conductivity.

Carbon fiber and 3D Printing

At present, there are two types of carbon fiber parts manufacturing technology on the market, in addition to the hot compression molding method introduced earlier, and another way is to use carbon fiber reinforcement materials in 3D printing.

Compared to traditional methods, carbon fiber 3D printing can help optimize designs, achieve complex external shapes and internal lattice structures, and significantly reduce manufacturing cycle times and costs. Ideal for low-volume production of high-strength, lightweight components.

Carbon fiber 3D printing is divided into chopped fiber and continuous fiber printing.

1) Chopped fiber printing

The process involves dispersing chopped carbon fibers in thermoplastics, forming mixed powders or extruding them into wires, which are then shaped using technologies such as SLS, FDM or MJF. It improves the overall stiffness and strength of the material and achieves excellent surface finish, corrosion resistance and heat resistance.

2) Continuous fiber printing

Continuous fiber printing uses the FDM process, in which continuous carbon fibers are embedded in a standard thermoplastic substrate. Continuous carbon fiber not only increases strength, but also provides users with selective reinforcement in areas where higher durability is required.

It can choose layer-by-layer base reinforcement, so concentric axial reinforcement and isotropic reinforcement can be obtained. Concentric fills strengthen the outer boundaries of each layer (inner and outer) and extend into the part with a user-defined number of cycles. Isotropic filling forms a unidirectional composite reinforcement on each layer, and carbon fiber weaving can be simulated by varying the direction of reinforcement on the layer. These strengthening strategies allow composites to effectively simulate metal properties.

With the improvement of processing technology and the blessing of advanced manufacturing technology, the price of carbon fiber is no longer unattainable. Believing that it will enter more industries with its excellent performance in the future, Protosoon has a complete carbon fiber part manufacturing technology, including 3D printing and hot press molding, contact us will help you understand carbon fiber and explore more possibilities.