Material Report

Introduction
Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new, useful products. This is done to reduce
the use of raw materials that would have been used. Recycling also uses less energy and great
way of controlling air, water and land pollution.
Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires,
textiles, batteries, and electronics. The composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste such
as food or garden waste is also a form of recycling.

Material: Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber dates back to 1879. Inventor Thomas Edison used carbon fibers as filaments for
early light bulbs. Although these fibers lacked the tensile strength of today's carbon fibers, their
considerable tolerance to heat made these fibers ideal for conducting electricity. Edison’s
carbon fibers were made out of cellulose-based materials, such as cotton or bamboo.
It wasn't until the late 1950's that high tensile strength carbon fibers were discovered. Rayon
became the first precursor used to create these modern fibers. Ultimately, it was replaced by
more effective materials such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch.

Structure:
To produce a carbon fiber, the carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or
less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber as the crystal alignment gives the fiber high
strength-to-volume ratio (making it strong for its size). Several thousand carbon fibers are
bundled together to form a tow, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric.
Carbon fibers are usually combined with other materials to form a composite. When
impregnated with a plastic resin and baked it forms carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (often
referred to as carbon fiber) which has a very high strength-to-weight ratio, and is extremely rigid
although somewhat brittle. Carbon fibers are also composited with other materials, such as
graphite, to form reinforced carbon-carbon composites, which have a very high heat tolerance.

Benefits:
The benefits of these high-strength fibers were clear. They weighed a fraction of the weight of
steel, yet contained much greater tensile strength. Another important benefit of carbon fiber was
its high modulus, or resistance to stretching. This inelasticity plays an important role in
reinforcing rigid structures such as the nose cones in hypersonic aircraft.

Application:
Carbon fibers have found wide application in commercial and civilian aircraft, recreational,
industrial, and transportation markets. Carbon fibers are used in composites with a lightweight
matrix. Carbon fiber composites are ideally suited to applications where strength, stiffness,
lower weight, and outstanding fatigue characteristics are critical requirements. They also can be
used in the occasion where high temperature, chemical inertness and high damping are
important.

Common Uses:

 High-end automobile components

 Bicycle frames
 Fishing rods
 Shoe soles
 Baseball bats
 Protective cases for laptops and iPhones

Exotic uses:

 Aeronautics and aerospace industries

 Oil and gas industry
 Unmanned aerial vehicles
 Satellites
 Formula-1 race cars
 Musical instruments
 Furniture
 Art
 Structural elements of buildings
 Bridges
 Wind turbine blades

References:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_fibers
 https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-carbon-fiber-820397
 https://www.carbonfiberglass.com/composite-resources/composites-
articles/history-carbon-fiber