About Carbon Fiber
Engineered Carbon Fiber Parts
Properties
​
Carbon fibers are non-isotropic and exhibit the greatest strength along their length. When manufacturing a sheet of carbon fiber, it is crucial to ensure that all fibers are aligned parallel to one another. Consequently, when utilizing such a sheet to produce a car component, the fibers must be oriented in accordance with the forces acting upon the part. This alignment ensures the material can effectively withstand the applied loads during operation.
Along their length, carbon fibers offer exceptional strength relative to their weight. As shown in the table below, carbon fibers are both stronger and lighter than steel.
​
Material Tensile strength (MPa): Density (g/cm³): Tensile modulus (MPa):
Carbon fiber (Toray T700G) 4900 1.80 230
Carbon fiber composite (with Toray T700G) 2550 135
Aramid (Kevlar 29) 3757 1.44 70.5
Steel (ASTM A36) 450 7.90 200
Pure copper 220 8.92 120
​​
See: The Making Of The Lexus LFA Supercar
​
Summary
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) offers an unparalleled strength-to-stiffness-to-weight ratio but comes at a high cost. Initially, it was introduced in race car manufacturing, where budget constraints are minimal.
​
There are three primary methods for producing CFRP: Pre-preg, Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), and Sheet Molding Compound (SMC), ranked in order of strength and cost. The Lexus LFA utilizes all three techniques, depending on the specific performance requirements of each CFRP component.
​
Pre-preg is the most robust form of carbon fiber manufacturing, though it is also the most expensive, particularly when cured in an autoclave.