Carbon fiber or Carbon fibre (See spelling differences) can refer to carbon filament thread, or to felt or woven cloth made from those carbon filaments. By extension, it is also used informally to mean any composite material made with carbon filament; for more on that application, see graphite-reinforced plastic.
Carbon fiber is most notably used to reinforce composite materials, particularly the class of materials known as carbon fiber reinforced plastics. This class of materials is used in aircraft parts, high-performance vehicles, tuner cars, sporting equipment, wind generator blades and gears and other demanding mechanical applications; a more thorough discussion of these uses, including composite lay-up techniques, can be found in the carbon fiber reinforced plastic article.
Non-polymer materials can also be used as the matrix for carbon fibres. Due to the formation of metal carbides (i.e., water-soluble AlC), bad wetting by some metals, and corrosion considerations, carbon has seen limited success in metal matrix composite applications; however, this can be improved by proper surface treatment, eg. for carbon-aluminium MMCs a vapor deposition of titanium boride on the fibers is often employed. Reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) consists of carbon fiber-reinforced graphite, and is used structurally in high-temperature applications, such as the nose cone and leading edges of the space shuttle.
The fiber also finds use in filtration of high-temperature gases, as an electrode with high surface area and impeccable corrosion resistance, and as an anti-static component in high-performance clothing.
Some string instruments, such as violins and cellos, use carbon fiber reinforced composite bows. This is an alternative to the more common wooden bows. There are also several companies which make entire instruments, such as cellos, out of carbon fiber.
Many high-end frames for road bikes and mountain bikes are made of carbon fiber reinforced composite. Also, many road bikes made of aluminum have carbon fiber reinforced composite seat posts, handlebars and forks for reduced weight and improved rider comfort.
It is also widely used to enhance the look of automobiles and reduce weight. Many of the "tuner" style cars have carbon fiber hoods to reduce weight from a stock 28 lb hood to an 8 lb hood. Another use is in the increasingly popular hobby of RC cars, many high-end kits come with many carbon fiber parts due to their light weight and attractive appearance.
Carbon fiber is also used by skateboard companies to make strong lightweight skateboards for all types of skating, mainly downhill speedboarding. It is also used in many composite longboards to stiffen an otherwise very flexible board.
Carbon fiber is also used on racing yachts, rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, as well as on the paddles and oars used with them. Its use has allowed boat builders to produce stiffer and lighter boats. Carbon, along with other artificial fibers, has replaced more traditional laminated wooden or fiberglass constructions.
Carbon fibre is also a prime material for use in archery. Modern day arrows are made as either aluminium-carbon composites, or entirely carbon fibre. Limbs also have a laminate system consisting of carbon fibre sheets with materials such as foam. This makes the bow faster and smoother to shoot. Another use in archery is in the recurve riser. More risers nowadays are beginning to have carbon fibre parts, which makes them lighter, and there is one company who has made an entirely carbon riser.
In addition to the plethora of other uses listed above, carbon fiber is also found in shoes. Nike, in particular, uses nearly foot-length carbon fiber spring plates in high-end basketball shoes like the Air Jordan XI. These plates are found between the outsole and the midsole, usually partially exposed along some stretches of the sole.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Car Hood
The hood (US) or bonnet (UK) is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. On passenger cars, a hood may be held down by a concealed latch. On race cars, or cars with aftermarket hoods (that do not use the factory latch system) the hood may be held down by hood pins. A hood may sometimes contain a hood ornament, hood scoop, and/or wiper jets. Hood are typically made out of steel or aluminum, although aftermarket manufacturers may manufacture hoods out of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or dry carbon.
In Japan and Europe, regulations have come into effect in recent years that place a limit on the severity of pedestrian head injury when struck by a motor vehicle. This is leading to more advanced hood designs, as evidenced by multicone hood inner panel designs as found on the Mazda RX-7 and other vehicles.
A recent trend in street racing has been to raise the rear end of the hood to promote cooling, although this, in theory, does little, except at dead stop, since the area of the hood directly in front of the windshield and the lowest portions of the windshield are almost always positive pressure zones (air actually flows into the engine bay, not out of it, increasing engine bay pressure).
In Japan and Europe, regulations have come into effect in recent years that place a limit on the severity of pedestrian head injury when struck by a motor vehicle. This is leading to more advanced hood designs, as evidenced by multicone hood inner panel designs as found on the Mazda RX-7 and other vehicles.
A recent trend in street racing has been to raise the rear end of the hood to promote cooling, although this, in theory, does little, except at dead stop, since the area of the hood directly in front of the windshield and the lowest portions of the windshield are almost always positive pressure zones (air actually flows into the engine bay, not out of it, increasing engine bay pressure).
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