Carbon fibers are tiny fibers made from a precursor known as polyacrylonitrile. Carbon fiber is a high-demand material because of its properties. Compared to steel, carbon fiber is much more durable and is, of course, lighter. The military, aerospace engineering, extreme sports, automotive industries, and other fields utilize this incredible material. In its most common application, carbon fiber is a very welcome addition to our cars.
As mentioned earlier, carbon fiber is durable and lightweight, making it perfect for a sleek, good-looking car. Despite carbon fiber being more expensive than steel, the benefits of using it in cars yield excellent results. So how does this incredible material benefit your car? Here are some ways carbon fiber helps:
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Aesthetics
Let’s start with one of the most desirable properties of carbon fiber: Looks. Using it on your car makes it appear high-end and more appealing. However, if you have cool cars such as the ‘98 mustang, getting parts for it might be challenging as they’re no longer producing this car.
An original mustang spoiler, for example, can be hard to find. With carbon fibers easily used for car parts, you can get a newer, more durable replacement. You can easily find a specific part, such as a 94-98 mustang spoiler made of carbon fiber.
Durability
Expensive fighter jets fly at supersonic speeds and often face the harshest conditions. The reason that carbon fiber is often found in such aircraft is because of its durability. Although your car won’t face similar conditions to fighter jets, it can also experience rough wear and tear. With carbon fibers more durable than steel, you’ll feel more assured with carbon fiber parts in your car.
Oxidation and continued exposure to the elements are a big problem for car owners. If not treated properly, steel and other metals can corrode and rust. Rusted materials become weak and easily break. Carbon fiber doesn’t rust or corrode when exposed to such conditions, making it perfect for your car. Carbon fiber isn’t also exclusively for the exterior parts of your car. Carbon fiber wraps can provide durability for your dash, steering wheel, gear, etc.
Weight
Aside from durability, carbon fiber wins over steel regarding power-to-weight ratio. In addition, carbon fiber is extremely light. In fact, these composites are lighter and provide even more stability compared to aluminum.
A car can have the strongest, fastest engine in the world, but it’ll still run slow if it’s heavy. A Chevrolet Corvette is a perfect example of a car utilizing carbon fiber. As it’s lighter, corvettes run faster and more efficiently than clunky, heavier trucks(with bigger engines).
With a carbon fiber-made chassis and body, high-end sports cars will have no trouble reaching their limits. Carbon fiber also helps maintain a car’s structural rigidity so a driver can feel safe inside despite running at high speeds.
Highly Resistant to Heat
A car is basically made out of moving parts that help you get to and fro. These moving parts can generate a lot of heat, damaging your car in the long run. Another property that carbon fiber has that’s welcome for your car is that it’s thermal-friendly. The heat that your car produces won’t be enough to bend or melt carbon fiber parts. This property makes carbon fiber ideal to use in such moving parts.
Fewer Repair Works
Almost every section in this article discusses how durable carbon fiber is. With that fact, a car that has a lot of carbon fiber parts in it doesn’t need many repairs. The fewer repairs a car has, the more money the owner saves.
Takeaway
Lighter, more durable, and easily molded: These three properties make carbon fiber the ideal material for making cars. Nowadays, whole engine blocks can even be made out of carbon fiber. The benefits mentioned above are just a few of what carbon fiber can bring to your car.
