Koolstoffaand

Koolstoffaand, often referred to in English as carbon fiber tow or carbon strand, is a high-strength, lightweight filament made predominantly of carbon. It is produced from a polymer precursor such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or a pitch-based precursor, which is spun into fine filaments and then subjected to stabilization, carbonization in inert atmosphere at high temperatures, and, in some cases, graphitization to increase stiffness. The resulting carbon fibers are bundled into tow or formed into yarns for weaving into fabrics or consolidated into prepregs with resin matrices.

Properties: Carbon fibers have a high tensile strength-to-weight ratio and high stiffness, along with good corrosion resistance and thermal stability. Densities typically range from 1.75 to 1.95 g/cm3. Tensile strength commonly falls in the 3–5 GPa range for standard moduli, with modulus values from about 150 to 600+ GPa depending on grade. They are brittle and can be damaged by sharp impacts; surface treatment or sizing improves adhesion to resin matrices.

Manufacturing specifics: A tow is a bundle of filaments; the designation 'k' (as in 3k, 12k, 24k) indicates the number of filaments in the tow. Finely controlled processes and sizing agents affect handling, wet-out with epoxy or other resin systems, and performance in composites.

Applications: Carbon fiber strands are used to reinforce composite materials in aerospace, automotive, sporting goods, wind turbine blades, and high-performance equipment, where strength and stiffness must be combined with low weight.

Environmental and safety notes: Production involves high temperatures and chemical processing; end-of-life disposal and recycling remain challenging, though chemical recycling and reprocessing of prepregs are areas of active development.