Comparative Analysis of Carbon Fiber and Metal Materials: Performance Data Reveals the Advantages of High-performance Composites

(1) Tensile Strength
Carbon fiber tensile strength generally ranges from 3.5 GPa to 7.0 GPa, which is much higher than steel (approximately 0.4-2.5 GPa) and aluminum alloys (approximately 0.2-0.6 GPa).

(2) Modulus
Carbon fiber modulus typically ranges from 220 GPa to 320 GPa, which is higher than steel (approximately 200 GPa) and aluminum alloys (approximately 70 GPa), indicating that carbon fibers are less likely to deform under stress.

(3) Elongation
Carbon fiber elongation is about 1.5% to 2.8%. Although it is lower than steel (approximately 15%) and aluminum alloys (approximately 8%), it still exhibits good ductility under superior structural performance.

(4) Thermal Conductivity
Carbon fiber thermal conductivity ranges from 10 W/m·K to 50 W/m·K, which is better than glass fibers (approximately 1 W/m·K) and many plastic materials but lower than metal materials such as aluminum (approximately 250 W/m·K) and copper (approximately 400 W/m·K).

(5) Electrical Conductivity
Carbon fiber electrical conductivity is about 10^4 S/m, which is higher than general insulating materials but lower than metal materials such as copper (approximately 5.8×10^7 S/m) and aluminum (approximately 3.8×10^7 S/m).

(6) Corrosion Resistance
Carbon fibers are not easily affected by chemicals and environmental factors and exhibit good performance in many corrosive environments, while metal materials often require additional protective measures.

(7）Mass
Carbon fiber density is about 1.6 g/cm³, which is lower than steel (approximately 7.8 g/cm³) and aluminum alloys (approximately 2.7 g/cm³). This gives carbon fiber composites a significant advantage in applications where weight reduction is required.