Carbon fiber consists of thin strands of element carbon. Carbon fibers have high tensile strength and are strong for their size. Carbon Graphite sheet fiber might be the strongest material there is on the earth.

Carbon fibers are twice as stiff as steel and five times as strong as steel. They are also highly chemically resistant and have high temperature tolerance with low thermal expansion.

Carbon fibers are important in engineering materials, aerospace, high performance vehicles, sporting equipment, and musical instruments. It is made from organic flexible graphite polymers, which consist of long strings of molecules held together by carbon atoms. Most carbon fibers are made from the polyacrylonitrile process. Only a small amount of it is manufactured from rayon or the petroleum pitch process. Gases, liquids, and other materials used in the manufacturing process create specific effects, qualities, and grades of carbon fiber. The highest grade carbon fiber with the best modulus properties are used in demanding applications.

Carbon fiber manufacturers differ from one another in the combinations of raw materials they use. They usually treat their specific formulations as trade secrets.

In the manufacturing process, the raw materials, which are called Flake graphite precursors, are drawn into long strands or fibers. The fibers are woven into fabric or combined with other materials that are filament wound or molded into desired shapes and sizes.

With its high tensile strength and lightweight, many people consider carbon fiber to be the most significant manufacturing material of this generation. Carbon fiber may play an increasingly important role in following areas:

Energy, windmill blades, natural gas storage and transportation, fuel cells. Automobiles, currently used just for high performance vehicles, carbon fiber technology is moving into wider use. Construction, lightweight pre-cast concrete, earthquake protection. Aircraft, defense and commercial aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles. Oil exploration, deep water drilling platforms, drill pipes. Carbon nanotubes, semiconductor materials, spacecraft, chemical sensors, and other uses.