Changes of carbon fiber under extreme temperatures

Carbon fiber is widely used in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, and sporting goods due to its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, the performance of carbon fiber under extreme temperatures is also one of the important factors in evaluating its applicability. This article will explore the changes of carbon fiber under high and low temperature environments.

Changes under high temperature environment

Thermal stability

Carbon fiber itself has high heat resistance. According to the search results, the high temperature resistance of carbon fiber tow can reach more than 1000°C. However, when carbon fiber is compounded with other materials (such as epoxy resin) to make carbon fiber board, its heat resistance will be affected by these materials. For example, epoxy resin will begin to oxidize and decompose at 180~200°C, so epoxy resin carbon fiber board can only withstand a high temperature of 150°C at most in actual use.

Improvement of thermoplastic resin

The heat resistance of carbon fiber board made of thermoplastic resin (such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyetheretherketone, etc.) can be improved to a certain extent and can withstand a high temperature of 250°C. In addition, there are some carbon fiber boards made by adding other high-temperature resistant materials to carbon fiber prepreg, and their high-temperature resistance can be further improved, but usually not more than 300°C.

Changes in low-temperature environments

Cold stability

Carbon fiber also performs very well in low-temperature environments. Carbon fiber and its composite materials will not become brittle or degrade in performance under extremely cold conditions. This makes carbon fiber an ideal material for use in cold environments, such as in the Arctic or space exploration.

Actual application cases

In the field of aerospace, carbon fiber composites often need to face extreme temperature changes, from normal temperature on the ground to extreme cold in the sky, and then to high temperatures when re-entering the atmosphere. The ability of carbon fiber composites to maintain stable performance under such extreme temperature changes proves its reliability in extreme environments.

Conclusion

In summary, the performance of carbon fiber at extreme temperatures depends on the type of composite material and the environment in which it is used. Although carbon fiber itself has high heat and cold resistance, the temperature resistance of its composite material will be affected by the matrix material. Therefore, when selecting carbon fiber composite materials, reasonable material selection should be made according to specific application scenarios and temperature requirements.