Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.
EstablishedPrimary and secondary aircraft structure; drawbacks of cost, lightning protection and galvanic corrosion.
Carbon fibre, 3 to 10 times stiffer than glass fibre, is used for structural aircraft parts — floor beams, stabilisers, flight controls and primary fuselage and wing structure; its drawbacks are cost, conductivity lower than aluminium, so parts exposed to lightning need protection, and a high potential for galvanic corrosion with metallic fasteners and structure.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 · Primary authority
EstablishedGraphite has three-dimensional layer order; carbon only two-dimensional.
Carbon and graphite fibres are both built from layered graphene networks; the material is graphite when the layers are stacked with three-dimensional order, which takes extended high-temperature processing and costs more, and carbon when only two-dimensional order within the layers is present, although the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 · Primary authority
Established1,000 degC
In the PAN route the stabilised fibre is carbonised without tension at about 1000 °C in an inert atmosphere, normally nitrogen, for a few hours, with a carbon fibre yield of about half the precursor mass.
- conditions: Carbonisation of stabilised polyacrylonitrile fibre in an inert atmosphere.
- precision note: The source gives about 1000 °C: an approximate figure, not an exact process setting.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 · Primary authority
EstablishedPAN precursor stabilised, carbonised in inert gas and optionally graphitised.
Most carbon fibre is made from a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor, the remainder mainly from rayon or pitch: the precursor fibre is oxidatively stabilised while stretched, carbonised in an inert atmosphere so that the non-carbon elements leave as volatiles, and optionally heat-treated at higher temperature to graphitise it, the finished fibre being more than 90 per cent carbonised.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · 2 sources, multiple sources, independence unknown
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 · Primary authority; Kumar 2021 · Peer-reviewed
Established200–300 degC
In the PAN route to carbon fibre the precursor is oxidatively stabilised, while stretched, at 200–300 °C, which converts it from a thermoplastic to a non-plastic ladder compound.
- conditions: Oxidative stabilisation of a polyacrylonitrile precursor under stretch, the first conversion stage.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 · Primary authority