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LITHOEN

Composite material

Carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer

Also known as CFRP, carbon fiber reinforced plastic

A polymer-matrix composite reinforced with carbon fibres, in a thermoset matrix such as epoxy or a thermoplastic such as polypropylene. Which manufacturing processes are in use depends heavily on which of the two the matrix is.

Classification

matrix family
POLYMER

How this record is known

2
Settled consensus
Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.

2 of 2 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.

What Lithoen records

Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.

EstablishedCarbon fibres in a thermoset (e.g. epoxy) or thermoplastic (e.g. polypropylene, PEEK) matrix.

Carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer combines carbon fibres with a polymer matrix: a thermoset such as epoxy, the usual matrix of aerospace structure, or a thermoplastic such as polypropylene or PEEK.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence 2 sources, multiple sources, independence unknown

Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority; U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 Primary authority

EstablishedThermoset CFRP: most processes widely used; thermoplastic CFRP: injection moulding widely used, liquid moulding at research stage (as of 2015).

For carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers the U.S. Department of Energy recorded in 2015 that most forming processes were widely used with thermoset matrices, while injection moulding was the one widely used mainly with thermoplastics; with thermoplastic matrices spray-up was not used, resin transfer moulding and vacuum infusion were at research stage, and prepreg, moulding compounds, pultrusion, compression moulding and autoclave forming were uncommon, hand lay-up and filament winding being widely used with both.

  • temporal basis: Technology stages as tabulated in the 2015 U.S. Department of Energy assessment; stages of practice change and none is asserted as current.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source

Evidence: U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Primary authority

In the knowledge graph

Record last updated 2026-10-30. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.