Due to their unique properties, carbon fiber tubes are used in numerous applications over traditional materials such as aluminum, steel and titanium.
High strength and stiffness with low weight
Excellent fatigue resistance
Dimensional stability: Low to Zero CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion)
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Types of Carbon Fiber Tubes
Standard Modulus Carbon Fiber Tubing (SM)
This is the most common grade of carbon fiber used for our carbon fiber tubes. Standard modulus offers excellent strength and stiffness. It is 1.5X stiffer than aluminum and is the most economical grade.
Intermediate Modulus Carbon Fiber Tubing (IM)
This grade of tubing offers enhanced stiffness over standard modulus carbon fiber tubing with the same or better strength. Intermediate modulus is approximately two times stiffer than aluminum tubing.
High Modulus Carbon Fiber Tubing (HM)
At three times stiffer than aluminum (or equivalent to steel stiffness), this grade of tubing has very similar strength to standard modulus carbon fiber tubing. It is an excellent choice for demanding, weight sensitive applications.
Ultra-High Modulus Carbon Fiber Tubing (UHM)
Incredible stiffness at four-five times that of aluminum or 1.5 times that of steel. Ultra-high modulus has lower strength and is not recommended for high stress applications.
Standard Carbon Fiber Tube Options
Shapes
Carbon fiber tubes can be fabricated into virtually any shape. These include:
Round
Square
Rectangle
Oval, elliptical
Octagon, hexagon
Custom shapes and profiles
Diameters
We offer stock, build-to-order, and custom carbon fiber tubes in multiple diameters. Custom tooling can be made to order for reasonable cost. See our current Mandrel List.
Wide range of diameters from 0.060” to over 10”
Most common fractional sizes (ID and OD)
Tapered diameters
Many metric sizes
OD grinding add-on service (+/-0.0005”)
Wall Thickness
Carbon fiber tubes are made with layers of prepreg, typically ~0.006” per layer. Virtually any wall thickness can be made by changing the number of layers or combining different prepreg thicknesses (0.003” – 0.010”).
When a job calls for a custom-made carbon fiber tubing, turn to Clearwater Composites. We have the capacity to create carbon fiber and composite materials in any shape or size, and we work closely with our clients to meet their exact specifications.
If you can’t find what you need in our extensive product inventory, talk to one of our engineers about your specific needs.