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Heat Resistant Carbon Fibers
Along with benefits such as outstanding strength, excellent durability, and being extremely lightweight when compared to metals such as steel and aluminum, composites also exhibit superb heat resistance.
When carbon fibers are placed into a resin matrix, producing a composite carbon fiber, one of its characteristics is an acceptable (in terms of heat resistance) Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE). Composites can be specifically designed and produced with practically a zero CTE, which means that when the composite material is heated (or is used in a heated environment), it will not shrink or expand. This characteristic means that composite components will retain their shape and mechanical properties, and continue to function in harsh environments with temperature extremes. The table below shows the CTE for various composites and other metals:
| Carbon Fiber Composite (Commercial Grade) | Carbon Fiber Composite (Aerospace Grade) | Mild Steel | Aluminum (6061 T6) | |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (inch/inch/Fahrenheit) | 1 x 10-6 to 2 x 10-6 |
-1 x 10-6 to 1 x 10-6 |
7 x 10-6 | 13 x 10-6 |
With a very low CTE, carbon fiber reinforced composites are used in a wide range of high temperature applications, including:
- Gas Turbine Components
- High Temperature Gas Filtration Parts
- High Temperature Furnaces - Heat Insulators, Trays, Structural Components
- Electronics Component Furnaces – Furnace Parts for the Manufacture of Silicon Semiconductors
- Spacecraft and Missile Parts
Composite parts can be developed with outstanding heat resistance – in fact, some aerospace grade composite components can be designed and manufactured to maintain their mechanical properties up to 3000° Centigrade (over 5400° Fahrenheit). For industrial applications, high temperature composite materials are available for operation temperatures up to 500° Fahrenheit.
Composite Resources has the extensive in-house capabilities to design, prototype and produce the standard or custom composite project or component that will meet or exceed your heat resistance specifications. At Composite Resources, we believe superior customer service, for clients requiring one, two or three pieces through million-plus production runs, from start to finish, is an integral part of every composite project we successfully complete – and our list of satisfied customers proves this!
