Is Carbon Fiber as strong as the Auto industry says?

Have a peak yourself.

 

 

Last test is the only one that seems practical.

This test doesn't really seem proper or take into account how carbon fiber is actually designed to be used. No one is going to put carbon fiber in a situation where that much force will be applied directly at the top where it is sliced, or put that much structural force onto it. Put a steel tube of the same thickness up there and have him press it and i can guarantee the steel tube will bend and smash the same way. The only one that he applied force to in a way that CF will be used is the last one with the cake. The load was distributed evenly around it, over many layers. In a real application where such a cake would be used, it would be in a situation where it was used to distribute an even load. You would never crossweave a tube and then apply force from the top or a structurally weak point. However, it would be fantastic for things where torsion would be used (driveshaft, etc).

 

Carbon fiber is cross weaved. When it is cross weaved, the strength of the carbon fiber stands up against force that pushes against that weave and the resin. For instance, on an airplane, there will be a frame made out of say aluminum or something structurally rigid and the carbon fiber that is put on around it ends up being a structural layer where the force is applied against the cross weave.

 

I've never made a part out of carbon fiber where I ever thought of using it as something where the force would be applied at the ends, or a significant amount of force applied to one specific area.

 

On top of this, carbon fiber does not flex well and is structurally rigid. So of course, if you apply force in the area where the cross weave strength is not present, it will simply break and crumble (as you can see). Carbon fiber is 10x stronger than steel, assuming that you are using the tensile strength and crossweave of it properly and understand how the strength works with it.

 

This is sort of like saying... "Is steel really as strong as people say it is?" and then heating it up till it's red hot and bending it. Well yeah, at that temperature it's useless. Likewise, when carbon fiber is utilized in such a manner that makes no sense in an application that makes no sense, it's useless as well.

 

I've made a carbon tube for my paraglider for my speed bar. It's about the thickness of the first one he crunched. But the pressure is going on it from me stepping on it, not from the end to end. The end as holes drilled for my speed bar pulleys and then I press on it. I have tried time and time again to try and break it. I've bent aluminum bars, bent plastic bars, and the carbon fiber bar has never budged. But.... I also understand how crossweave works, and where the tensile strength lies, and my life depends on it every time i'm in the sky and need to get wind penetration to get away from the hill.

 

You could think of it like the paper folding trick. You can tear a single piece of paper. But keep folding it until it's to where you can't fold it anymore and then try to rip it, and good luck. Likewise, the carbon atom alignment makes it to where it is incredibly strong in RESISTING force and with tensile strength, but not in a manner where it is used to directly oppose force over the entire structure like that from all directions. I hope that makes sense. If you pull on a chinese finger trap, it gets stronger as it is strung out. If you keep pushing on it, and keep pushing on it, you'll eventually crack it. Think of the structure of carbon fiber like that.

Yes, yes it is. Next question.

Yes, yes it is. Next question.

 

But a video on youtube did a biased and unfair video therefore it's a conspiracy!

His finnish accent is just killing me!!

This test doesn't really seem proper or take into account how carbon fiber is actually designed to be used. No one is going to put carbon fiber in a situation where that much force will be applied directly at the top where it is sliced, or put that much structural force onto it. Put a steel tube of the same thickness up there and have him press it and i can guarantee the steel tube will bend and smash the same way. The only one that he applied force to in a way that CF will be used is the last one with the cake. The load was distributed evenly around it, over many layers. In a real application where such a cake would be used, it would be in a situation where it was used to distribute an even load. You would never crossweave a tube and then apply force from the top or a structurally weak point. However, it would be fantastic for things where torsion would be used (driveshaft, etc).

 

Carbon fiber is cross weaved. When it is cross weaved, the strength of the carbon fiber stands up against force that pushes against that weave and the resin. For instance, on an airplane, there will be a frame made out of say aluminum or something structurally rigid and the carbon fiber that is put on around it ends up being a structural layer where the force is applied against the cross weave.

 

I've never made a part out of carbon fiber where I ever thought of using it as something where the force would be applied at the ends, or a significant amount of force applied to one specific area.

 

On top of this, carbon fiber does not flex well and is structurally rigid. So of course, if you apply force in the area where the cross weave strength is not present, it will simply break and crumble (as you can see). Carbon fiber is 10x stronger than steel, assuming that you are using the tensile strength and crossweave of it properly and understand how the strength works with it.

 

This is sort of like saying... "Is steel really as strong as people say it is?" and then heating it up till it's red hot and bending it. Well yeah, at that temperature it's useless. Likewise, when carbon fiber is utilized in such a manner that makes no sense in an application that makes no sense, it's useless as well.

 

I've made a carbon tube for my paraglider for my speed bar. It's about the thickness of the first one he crunched. But the pressure is going on it from me stepping on it, not from the end to end. The end as holes drilled for my speed bar pulleys and then I press on it. I have tried time and time again to try and break it. I've bent aluminum bars, bent plastic bars, and the carbon fiber bar has never budged. But.... I also understand how crossweave works, and where the tensile strength lies, and my life depends on it every time i'm in the sky and need to get wind penetration to get away from the hill.

 

You could think of it like the paper folding trick. You can tear a single piece of paper. But keep folding it until it's to where you can't fold it anymore and then try to rip it, and good luck. Likewise, the carbon atom alignment makes it to where it is incredibly strong in RESISTING force and with tensile strength, but not in a manner where it is used to directly oppose force over the entire structure like that from all directions. I hope that makes sense. If you pull on a chinese finger trap, it gets stronger as it is strung out. If you keep pushing on it, and keep pushing on it, you'll eventually crack it. Think of the structure of carbon fiber like that.

 

I know. I updated my post to make it more clear. I thought it was interesting to see the last test.

His finnish accent is just killing me!!

90% of finnish people talk english way better. This guy and his family are from middle of nowhere and a bit older folks.

Well 90% of the Finns anyone would bump into anywhere anyway...

90% of finnish people talk english way better. This guy and his family are from middle of nowhere and a bit older folks.

Well 90% of the Finns anyone would bump into anywhere anyway...

 

 

VAT THA FOOK!

VAT THA FOOK!

 

That's exactly what I was laughing at every time he said it, very funny!

He sounded like the chef from the Muppet Show. That was hilarious.

 

 

Whoa. 8000nm of force that machine can apply. Impressive. And NEARLY 4700nm before the CF shaft broke. That's nearly 3600ft lbs of force.

Whoa. 8000nm of force that machine can apply. Impressive. And NEARLY 4700nm before the CF shaft broke. That's nearly 3600ft lbs of force.

 

Yes very impressive a bit more than 3.4 times the strength of the steel shaft and more than likely 25% of the weight.

The weight is just as important of a factor. Think about lowering the overall weight static, rotational and or unsprung weight.

 

Strong and light mono cockpits to keep drivers safe while lowering the vehicles overall weight.

Driveshafts and wheels that are a third of the weight or less of steel and or other alloys. The gains in overall acceleration and handling of a vehicle.

 

Very impressive stuff and it is being incorporated into all sorts of things.

I have been working on a large project involving the largest supplier of carbon fiber in the world, Toray Industries.

They are building a one billion dollar facility in Moore South Carolina.

 

 

 

I have been doing a ton of research on carbon fiber in general. Carbon Fiber is here to stay. As demand grows the cost will reduce. Almost all major companies in the automotive industry are trying to go this route for several different reasons. Weight, strength and MPG being the most important factor. IMO I think carbon fiber will be in almost every automobile in the next 10 years, the only restriction as of right now is cost. Historically prices of prepreg carbon fiber is getting cheaper year over year, so its just a matter of time.

 

Literally had that link ready to go and then when scrolling down to post it saw you beat me to it.

 

Carbon fiber wins.

 

 

damn you beat me to it. when i saw the title i immediately thought that video will need to be linked.

 

good job.