What Is Carbon Fiber Tube, Its Properties, Characteristics, and Applications?

Tubular structures are important for a wide range of applications. So, it should come as no wonder that the unique properties of carbon tube place them in high demand in various industries. Now, it replaces steel, titanium, aluminum, and other tubes in applications where weight is the most important factor.

Carbon tubes are often the preference in industries like aerospace, automotive, and sporting equipment where weight is one of the most essential factors. It is ideal to find a reliable composite material supplier to buy a carbon fiber tube, vacuum bagging, sandwich panels, and many others. Below, I’m going to share some important things about carbon fiber tubular structure that you should know.

Properties of Carbon Fiber Tube

There are some unique properties that make carbon tubes more preferable than other materials, including:

• High force to weight and hardness to weight ratio
• Resistance to fatigue
• Dimensional steadiness due to an enormously low coefficient of thermal extension

Characteristics of Carbon Tube

Carbon tubes are generally produced in circular, square, or rectangular shapes. They can also be fabricated into almost any shape, such as oval or elliptical, octagonal, hexagonal, or custom shapes. Roll-wrapped is ideal to use for application that requires high bending stiffness combined with low weight. It is made up of multiple wraps of twill or unidirectional carbon fiber fabric.

While braided carbon tubes are prepared using a blend of carbon fiber braid and unidirectional carbon fiber fabric. It provides crush strength and excellent torsion characteristics and is well suited for high-torque applications. A huge diameter carbon tube is completed using rolled bi-directional woven carbon fiber. By using the right fiber, fabrication process, and fiber orientation, carbon tubes can be created with the ideal characteristics for a wide range of applications.

Applications of Carbon Fiber Tubular Structure

Carbon tubes are used for various tubular applications, including:

• Robotics and automation
• Telescoping poles
• Idler rollers
• Metrology instrumentation
• Drone components
• Telescopes
• Industrial machinery
• Lightweight drums
• Guitar necks
• Aerospace applications

With lightweight, better-quality strength, and hardness, combined with an array of customizable options, from fabrication process to shape to length, diameter, and also color options, carbon tubes are useful across a wide range of industrial applications. The use of carbon fiber tube is generally limited by one’s imagination.