GCSE and A level chemistry exam revision notes on smart materials and some high performance polymer materials

Part 8 CARBON FIBRES - molecular structure, properties and uses

Alphabetical list of keywords mentioned on these 'smart materials' pages: Carbon fibres * Chromogenic materials * Electrochromic materials * Gore-Tex * Halochromic materials  * High performance polymers * Kevlar * Lycra * Magnetic shape memory alloys * Magnetostrictive materials * Nitinol * pH sensitive polymers * Photochromic materials * Photomechancal materials * Piezoelectric effect materials * PTFE * Self-healing materials * Shape memory alloys * Shape memory polymers * Spandex * Teflon * Temperature responsive polymers * Thermochromic materials * Thinsulate

Part 8. CARBON FIBRES

• Carbon fibers are made of thin, crystalline filaments of >90% carbon, comprised of hexagonal, graphene-like sheets of carbon atoms arranged in long, tightly bonded chains.

• These carbon sheet layers are aligned parallel to the fibre axis structure and this maximises the effects of the intermolecular bonding between carbon chains as well as the strong C-C bonds of the carbon fibre molecules themselves..

• This gives the carbon fibres high tensile strength, stiffness, and of low weight and density.

• Carbon fibres are significantly different in strength compared carbon allotrope graphite, which is soft, slippery and easily broken brittle solid.

• So, very thin filaments or strands of graphite-carbon (carbon fibres) are very stiff and strong.

• Precursor fibres of the polymer polyacrylonitrile are carbonised under extreme heat is one method of making carbon fibres - the process produces long chains of carbon atoms bonded together.

• Carbon fibres are useful for reinforcing other materials to make them tougher i.e. strengthening composite materials.

• Carbon fibres can be incorporated into strong plastics to make an even stronger composite material.

• Carbon fibre materials are not only strong but very lightweight e.g. compared to strong metal alloys like steel.

• So carbon fibre composites are used for skateboards, boat hulls and high performance sports equipment like tennis racket frames.

• However, these high performance materials products don't come cheaply, you may pay £7000 for a mountain bike, made from carbon fibres and titanium, that weighs just 6 kg (quote from BBC News website in 2006).

 See also carbon nanotubes in nanochemistry, and the revision notes on ..

... covalent Bonding - covalent structures including diamond, graphite plus fullerenes, nanotubes

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INDEX of SMART MATERIALS PAGES

PART 1 CHROMOGENIC MATERIALS - Thermochromic, Photochromic & Electrochromic Materials

PART 2 SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS e.g. Nitinol & Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys

PART 3 SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS, pH and temperature sensitive-responsive polymers, self-healing materials

Part 4 LYCRA-SPANDEX

PART 5 High performance polymers like KEVLAR

PART 6 GORETEX, THINSULATE and TEFLON-PTFE

PART 7 PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT (PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS) and PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS

PART 8 CARBON FIBRES

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