Performance Comparison of Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites and Other Carbon Fiber Composites

Comparison Between Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites and Short – Cut/Powder Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites

When composite materials undergo bending or shearing, there’s a fiber pull – out process from the matrix, which helps absorb external load energy.During this process, fiber length plays a crucial role. Within a certain range, the longer the fiber, the more energy it can absorb, leading to better strength enhancement.Longer fibers also reduce the number of fibers and stress concentration points in the composite, making the material harder to damage. Thus, continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites have superior mechanical properties compared to short – cut or powdered ones.

In friction, continuous carbon fibers provide better lubrication due to their longer length, resulting in a lower friction coefficient, less wear, and finer wear debris. This makes continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites more suitable for high – frequency and high – load applications.

Comparison Between Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites and Thermosetting Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites

Continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites differ from their thermosetting counterparts in processing. Thermoplastic composites undergo crystallization and glass transition to form a crystal structure, while thermosetting ones cross – link and cure during processing.Though harder to infiltrate during preparation, thermoplastic composites offer advantages like shorter molding cycles, better impact resistance, weldability, secondary molding capabilities, and greater design flexibility.

Continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites also show better high – temperature resistance than thermosetting ones. This is due to differences in the resin system. Mid – range and high – end thermoplastic resins, especially special engineering plastics like PEEK, have excellent temperature resistance. The wear resistance of the thermoplastic resin matrix also positively affects the overall performance of the composite material.