Carbon Fiber Knowledge
The latest from the world of advanced composites and carbon fiber technology.
Superyacht design has converged on a simple equation: weight is luxury. A 50-meter yacht that shaves 30 tonnes from its hull and superstructure gains speed, range, fuel economy, and payload capacity for tenders, toys, and guest amenities. No material delivers more of that saving per kil
An economy-class aircraft seat weighs roughly 11-13 kilograms, and a narrowbody airliner carries 150 to 200 of them. In an industry where a single kilogram saved on an aircraft is worth roughly $3,000 in fuel and emissions costs over its service life, seats are one of the most concentra
Thermoplastic carbon fiber composites have been called the future of airframe manufacturing for two decades, but it took the EU-funded HESTIA project to prove the concept at full aircraft scale. In 2022, a consortium led by GKN Aerospace Fokker completed a 4-meter-diameter thermoplastic
Denmark's carbon fiber market in 2026 is defined by two world-leading industries: wind energy and maritime shipping. Denmark is the headquarters of Vestas — the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer — and hosts one of Europe's densest clusters of wind component suppliers, test facil
China carbon fiber export controls have become one of the defining supply chain risks for the global composites industry in 2026. China now accounts for roughly 50% of global carbon fiber production capacity and an even larger share of industrial-grade output, making its export policies
The United States carbon fiber market in 2026 is the largest and most strategically contested in the world. North America consumed roughly 28,000 tonnes of carbon fiber in 2025, and the United States accounts for the overwhelming majority of that volume, driven by the highest-value appl
Carbon fiber honeycomb sandwich panel manufacturing is one of the most efficient ways to build large, flat, and torsionally stiff structures at a fraction of the weight of solid laminates. A sandwich panel works by separating two thin carbon fiber face skins with a lightweight core, dra
Fiber volume fraction (FVF, Vf) is the most direct link between a composite's internal structure and its mechanical performance. A change of a few percent in Vf shifts tensile modulus, compressive strength, and interlaminar shear strength by measurable amounts — which is why aerospace a
Automated composite manufacturing — automated fiber placement (AFP), filament winding, and braiding — runs on a narrow family of precursor materials. For decades the default was standard unidirectional prepreg slit into tape, or dry tow used with a separate resin injection step. Carbon