An Introduction to Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic

Abstract

<p> The development and properties of carbon fibre are reviewed together with the properties and applications of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Techniques for fabricating this material and certain design problems are discussed and future developments considered.</p> <p> Some simple predictions of the elastic moduli of fibre reinforced composites are compared with experimental data and a modification for the prediction of the longitudinal shear modulus suggested. Typical values for the elastic moduli of carbon fibre reinforced plastic are presented.</p> <p> A method for predicting the behaviour of laminated composite structures, which is more realistic than conventional netting analysis, is described and a computer programme for determining the strength and stiffness of such structures included.</p>