How About The Thermal Properties Of Carbon Fiber Composites

As a high-performance structural material, carbon fiber has been favored in the fields of railway transportation, automobile industry, medical equipment and other fields in recent years.

The editor of the Be-cu prototype in this article mainly introduces the thermal properties of carbon fiber composite materials to my sister.   

In the production process of carbon fiber, it needs to go through graphitization, low temperature carbonization , high temperature carbonization , so the working temperature of carbon fiber material itself is very high, but in the process of making carbon fiber products , Considering the molding requirements, carbon fiber is usually not used alone, but is fused with matrix materials such as resin to form a carbon fiber composite material, so the actual working temperature of carbon fiber products will be reduced.

Carbon fiber composite materials have good overall properties and are particularly powerful among new materials. So is it suitable for working in high temperature environments for a long time? We have to analyze this problem from the composition of carbon fiber composite materials.

What is the high temperature performance of carbon fiber composite materials?

When commonly used thermosetting resins face high temperatures, they will undergo thermal expansion and generate a certain amount of internal stress. When the temperature further increases, carbon fiber composite materials will soften, melt, decompose and even burn.

Carbon fiber composite materials are composed of carbon fiber and resin matrix. Carbon fiber strands are formed through pre-oxidation and high-temperature treatment. The general temperature is around 2000°C. Carbon fiber itself has undergone high-temperature treatment, and its high-temperature resistance is relatively excellent.

An important reason why carbon fiber composite materials cannot withstand high temperatures is the resin matrix. The resin matrix is different. Resin is a solid or semi-solid organic polymer at room temperature. It will melt into a liquid state after being heated at high temperature.

The problem that carbon fiber composite materials cannot withstand very high temperatures is not only related to the resin matrix, but also related to the matching of thermal expansion coefficients between component materials. For carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites, the interface debonding caused by thermal stress is not the main factor that determines its heat resistance, and the heat resistance of the resin matrix is often not as good as that of reinforced materials or fillers. Therefore, the resistance of carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites Thermal properties mainly depend on the heat resistance of its polymer matrix.

How resistant are carbon fiber composite materials to high temperatures?

The glass transition temperature of the more commonly used epoxy resin is about 130-140°C. After modification, its glass transition temperature can be as high as 200°C. The high temperature resistance of the carbon fiber composite material is only below 180°C.

Research on thermoplastic carbon fiber composites is currently in full swing, but mass production will take time. Resins such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), thermoplastic polyimide (TPI), etc. have higher melting points, especially polyetheretherketone (PEEK)..

Coefficient of thermal expansion refers to the phenomenon of expansion and contraction of objects due to changes in temperature. Its ability to change is the change of length value caused by unit temperature change under the same pressure , the thermal expansion coefficient of carbon fiber composite material is very small, basically will not deform with the change of working temperature, and the size is stable, suitable for Products that require high precision. At the same time, the thermal conductivity of carbon fiber composite materials is good, but this is a double-sided feature, which is an advantage in some fields and a disadvantage in other fields.  

China Be-cu Prototype Material Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2005. It has a production workshop of more than 5,000 square meters. It masters advanced carbon fiber product forming technology, has rich production experience and multiple machining equipment, and provides a series of carbon fiber products. complete facilities.

ISO 9001 certified. BE-CU Prototype Offering CNC machining carbon fiber and other manufacturing services for carbon fiber marterial. Various capabilities include notching, labeling, drilling carbon fiber, grinding, laser cutting carbon fiber, finishing, plating, marking, CNC milling carbon fiber and turning carbon fiber.We stock high quality 3k carbon fiber sheet in a variety of thickness, types and finish. Its a great material used in applications where light weight and strength are needed such as drones. Unlike other workshops, we have no min order and are often filling orders with a single part. We also don’t make you pay for the full sheet and you only get charged for what is used. With a large selection of material, you should find everything you need to make your project come to life. We are also able to handle larger production runs and provide a competitive pricing. If we don’t have the material or finish you require, we are more the willing to look at bringing it in for you.

What Is Carbon Fiber?Carbon fiber is made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) (or pitch, viscose) and other organic fibers by carbonization (removal of most elements except carbon) by pyrolysis method under inert gas at high temperature above 1,000 °C. Inorganic polymer fibers with a carbon content of more than 90%.