What are Carbon Fibers?

            A Carbon Fiber is a fibrous carbon material having a micro graphite

            crystal structure made by fibrillation of Acrylic resin, a well

            known textile material, or from oil/coal pitch and then by being

            given a certain heat treatment.

Properties of Carbon Fibers :

1)As Carbon Fibers are very fine in nature and moreover easily breakable by stretching (by less than 2% elongation), the fibers can easily be made fuzz.

2)As most Carbon Fibers have high elastic modulus and is very fine in nature, micro fiber tends to stick to human skins or mucous membranes causing pains or itch.

3)As Carbon Fibers have electric conductivity, fly or waste yarn can cause a short-circuit at electric lines.

4)As Carbon Fibers are solid-structured carbon and consequently are hard to be burned.

5-As carbon itself is thought to have good compatibility with human body tissues, Carbon Fibers or composites of the fibers are largely used as artificial human body parts.

 2-Usage of Carbon Fibers:

Carbon Fiber customers have developed wide varieties of usage of the fibers making best use of the fibers' favorable properties as presented below. Another favorable point is that JCMA member companies are able to offer wide range of assortments of fiber performances as attained by using different raw materials and by applying different processes under different processing conditions.

2-1: Application to Electronics and Industrial Equipment

            Usage of chopped Carbon Fibers to make composite with other resins

            such as nylon or polycarbonate is growing too in order to get higher

            performances. Carbon Fibers added to resins by 10پ`60% makes it

            possible to reduce weight of plastic parts or to reduce their

            thickness because of its superior mechanical performances.

            And the electric conductivity of Carbon Fibers makes it possible to

            give such additional performance to plastic material as to

            preventing static load and to shielding from electromagnetic

            interferences.

2-2:Application to Arifcraft and Aerospase

                Manufacturers of not only commercial airplanes but also military

            aeroplanes and helicopters have developed various usage of composite

            material. In every case, objectives of using of composite material

            have been to reduce weight of planes and to have highly performing

            flying machines. Composite material also has contributed to those

            secondary objectives as saving of assembling manpower.

            Airplane manufacturers now plan to expand use of CFRP. Airbus's

            A380s, the new wide-body plane, and Boeing's Sonic Cruisers shall be

            the state of the art examples. Use of CFRP for airplane parts will

            be developed further and further toward the future.

           Application to Aerospace

            In aerospace field, which demands material light in weight and of

            high rigidity, the H-IIA rocket adopts CFRP parts.    

            The black one on the photo:

            the intermediate section of the main body

            The white one at the top on the photo:

            the top cap of the main body made partly of FRP

            The white motor case one on the photo:

            made wholly of CFRP

2-3:Application to Building and Civil Engineering

            In buildings and civil engineering field, the reinforcement of

            structures among others is the first area of application of Carbon

            Fibers with favored advantages of lightweight and high strength.

            To increase durability of concrete structures such as bridges by

            covering them with Carbon Fiber sheets is being recognized as an

            effective reinforcement measure to increase resistance against

            earthquakes.

2-4: Application to Medial and General Industrial

            At the medical worksite, CFRP is widely used for X-ray inspection

            equipment making use of its X-ray permeability. Furthermore, CFRP is

            used for surgical outfits such as artificial legs and braces

            utilizing its mechanical features.

            Recently Carbon Fiber composites are used for various parts for

            general industrial machinery.

            Electric floor heating system using Carbon Fiber as heating device.

2-5:Application to Sports and Recreations

            As Carbon Fibers' superior performances, high specific tensile

            strength and specific modulus modulus, become familiar, sporting

            goods manufacturers have endeavored to make use of the fibers for

            basic material of their final products.