Beginner’s guide to carbon fibre

With around 80% of the chassis being made from carbon fibre, it has become an essential material for all F1 teams. Here’s our quick guide to find out more about this miracle material.

What is carbon fibre?

Carbon fibre, or to use its full name, carbon fibre reinforced plastic, is a composite material that is made from long fibres of graphitic carbon, which are combined with an epoxy resin. The fibres are incredibly stiff and strong, while the resin is incredibly light and mouldable. By combining these two materials we end up with something that has some highly desirable engineering properties.

Why do F1 teams use so much carbon fibre?

Simply because it offers superb strength and stiffness to weight ratios. If we compare it with steel, we get around twice the strength at just 20% of the weight. That allows the cars to meet the incredibly high structural demands placed on them and yet remain very light. By making the cars as light as possible (while respecting the minimum weight limit), we can fine-tune the weight distribution, which ultimately improves performance at the track.

Does it have any other advantages over steel?

It’s very effective in the way it absorbs energy. Metals, such as steel, tend to absorb energy by bending or stretching, but carbon fibre is different because it breaks into lots of tiny fragments during impact. This absorbs a lot more energy weight for weight and, unlike steel, keeps the damage local to the impact zone.

Is it true that carbon fibre has to be kept in the freezer before it is used?

Indeed, that’s true. The resin in the fibres begins to harden when exposed to temperature – even ambient room temperatures. That’s why the material becomes incredibly hard when cooked at the high temperatures in our autoclaves. To prevent this from happening prematurely, the material must be stored in a frozen condition.

Are there different varieties of carbon fibre?

Yes, there are numerous grades of carbon fibre. We use around 30 different composite systems on the car and all are designed to have specific performance characteristics (such as resistance to heat). The fibres also vary in terms of thickness and pattern, depending on the requirements of each component. The different grades vary in cost and range from £25 per square metre to over £200 per square metre!

Can carbon fibre be combined with other materials?

Yes, we often combine carbon fibre with aluminium honeycomb. We use this technique for making the survival cell because it greatly increases the structural rigidity for a very minimal weight gain. Plus, using a honeycomb core is ideal for dissipating energy in the event of an accident.

Is carbon fibre a difficult material to work with?

Yes and no. It offers a great deal of flexibility for manufacturing and is useful for moulding complex shapes in short time scales. That’s vital for ensuring our aerodynamic upgrades make it to the car as quickly as possible. However, moulding the carbon fibres is done by hand and requires a great deal of skill, and with so many parts needed each year, it’s quite a labour intensive operation.

As published on www.renaultf1.com