Lets relatively compare a few properties of carbon fiber to steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy. (Actual figures vary depending on manufacturing process, alloy composition for metals; resins used, and resin to carbon ratios for carbon fiber.)
- Carbon fiber is stronger than aluminum, steel, and titanium.
- Carbon fiber has the lowest density of these materials.
- Carbon fiber has a stiffness very close to that of steel, and is greater than titanium or aluminum. This does NOT mean it cannot flex. Carbon fiber pieces can be flexed more than metals without any permanent deformation.
- Carbon fiber, titanium alloy, and steel, all have excellent fatigue resistance. Aluminum can fail under repeated stresses that are much lower than its yield strength.
- Carbon fiber can easily be molded into complex shapes and layered to add thickness and strength only to areas that need it. This can't be easily done with metals without large production volumes.
The drawback of using carbon fiber is its cost, both in materials and the amount of labour involved. There is a lot of time involved in the preparation of a new part. Cost aside, it is easy to see the advantages of carbon fiber over other materials used for high performance applications. These are the reasons why carbon fiber forms the monocoque chassis of the Mclaren F1 supercar and is widely used for military and commercial aircraft applications. The F-22 Raptor has over 350 carbon fiber parts and nearly 1/3 of the Joint Strike Fighter Plane will be made of carbon and fiberglass.
