Durable and well-designed tools can dramatically improve your everyday work. No one wants to carry around a bulky flashlight or a poorly designed box knife, which is why carbon fiber is becoming the material of choice for many manufacturers looking to combine strength, safety, and style. In this article, we'll explore the applications and benefits of carbon fiber, especially in flashlights.
What is carbon fiber
Carbon fiber is a composite material consisting of fiber bundles and a resin matrix. The main component of carbon fiber is carbon element, which has the characteristics of light weight, high strength, high stiffness, good corrosion resistance and high temperature stability. Carbon fiber has higher tensile strength and elastic modulus than aluminum alloy, and is lighter than steel. It is widely used in aerospace, military industry, automobile, sports equipment and construction.
Advantages of Carbon Fiber
High strength: The strength of carbon fiber is 5-10 times higher than that of steel, about 2 times higher than that of aluminum, and can withstand greater loads
Lightweight: The density of carbon fiber is only a quarter of that of steel, and about half of that of aluminum, which is light in weight and can reduce the weight of the structure
High stiffness: The stiffness of carbon fiber is 2-3 times higher than that of steel and 5-6 times higher than that of aluminum, which can resist bending and torque deformation
Corrosion resistance: Carbon fiber has excellent corrosion resistance, will not be corroded by water and oxidants, and has a long service life
High temperature stability: carbon fiber still maintains stable performance at high temperature without plastic deformation
Good electromagnetic properties: Carbon fiber is a non-conductor material, so it has good electromagnetic properties and can be applied in the fields of electronic equipment and communications
Good formability: carbon fiber can be formed by injection molding, blow molding and pressing, which can adapt to different engineering needs
Application of carbon fiber
1. Aerospace field: Carbon fiber is widely used in the manufacture of aircraft, satellites, missiles and other components, such as airfoils, rudder surfaces, fuselage structures, etc. The use of carbon fiber can reduce the weight of aircraft and improve flight performance
2. Automobile manufacturing field: Carbon fiber is mainly used in the manufacture of body frame, suspension system, brake disc and other parts in automobile manufacturing. The use of carbon fiber can improve the performance and safety of the car, and can reduce fuel consumption and emissions
3. Sports equipment field: carbon fiber is widely used in the manufacture of golf clubs, bicycles, skateboards, snowboards, rowing boats and other equipment. The use of carbon fiber can improve the lightness, stiffness, abrasion resistance and impact resistance of the equipment
4. Construction field: Carbon fiber is mainly used in the construction field to reinforce and repair building structures, such as columns, beams, walls, etc. The use of carbon fiber can increase the load-bearing capacity and seismic performance of the structure
5. Military field: carbon fiber is widely used in the manufacture of aircraft, tanks, missiles and other weapons and equipment in the military field. The use of carbon fiber can reduce the burden on weapons and equipment, improve mobility and combat power
Is carbon fiber metal or plastic
Carbon fiber is neither metal nor plastic, it is a composite material. The basic material of carbon fiber is a polymer material such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which is made through multiple production processes such as weaving, pre-oxidation, and carbonization. The main components of carbon fiber are cellulose and graphitized carbon, and contain a small amount of elements such as nitrogen and oxygen.
Carbon fiber vs steel
Carbon fiber and steel have different characteristics and applications.
First of all, carbon fiber is lighter than steel, and its density is only about a quarter of that of steel. Therefore, carbon fiber has more advantages in applications that require weight reduction, such as aerospace and automobile manufacturing.
Second, carbon fiber is tougher and more wear-resistant than steel. Although carbon fiber is not as hard as steel, it is 5-10 times stronger than steel and has a higher specific strength (ratio of strength to density). Therefore, carbon fiber is widely used in some high-end sports equipment, such as golf clubs, bicycles and so on.
However, steel has advantages in low-cost production and large-scale production, and steel generally has higher strength and stiffness than carbon fiber. Therefore, steel is still the main building material and structural material in most infrastructure construction and daily product manufacturing.
In conclusion, both carbon fiber and steel have their unique characteristics and applications, and play important roles in different industries and fields.
Why is carbon fiber so expensive
The manufacturing process of carbon fiber is relatively complicated and requires high temperature and high pressure technology to manufacture. This manufacturing method needs to first process the polymer into fibers, and then carry out a series of processes such as carbonization and sintering to finally obtain carbon fiber products. The entire production process requires very strict requirements. Once a problem occurs, it will easily lead to an increase in the scrap rate, thereby increasing production costs.
In addition, the raw materials of carbon fiber are relatively expensive. Its main raw material is polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN) or coal tar pitch, etc., and the price of these raw materials is relatively high. At the same time, due to the special process of carbon fiber production, a variety of special materials and equipment are required, which further increases the production cost.
Another reason is that the current market demand for carbon fiber is still relatively small, and the production capacity is relatively small, which also leads to the high price of carbon fiber.
To sum up, the manufacturing process of carbon fiber is relatively complicated, the price of raw materials is expensive, and the market demand is relatively small, which are the main reasons for the high price of carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber product recommendation
Olight i5R Carbon Fiber EDC Flashlight
Made of Carbon Fiber: This latest i5R EOS is as strong as it is light! Powered by a rechargeable 14500 lithium battery for 350 lumen output
Small and lightweight: The i5R EOS flashlight is made of carbon fiber material and weighs only 57g
Smooth operation: Use the non-slip tactical tail switch for instant on and mode switching (15~350 lumens)
High performance: charging version i5T EOS, stronger performance
Luxury and class: Black and gray woven carbon fiber with a matte finish for a distinguished look
Exquisite craftsmanship and high quality: After more than 40 manufacturing processes such as curing, baking, and grinding, the i5R EOS carbon fiber finally shows an impeccable and exquisite appearance
