HexTow® Continuous Carbon Fiber

HexTow® Continuous Carbon Fiber

Continuous fiber can be combined with all thermoset and thermoplastic resin systems. It is used for weaving, braiding, filament winding applications, unidirectional tapes for ATL and AFP processes and prepreg tow for fiber placement.

HexTow® Carbon Fiber for Industrial Applications

HexTow® carbon fiber is widely used in a number of leading brand, high performance recreational sports equipment including performance bikes, tennis racquets, fishing rods, skis, snowboards, hockey sticks, baseball bats, and golf shafts to name a few.

HexTow® standard and intermediate modulus carbon fiber is selected for winning Formula 1 cars, competition racing boats, high performance cars, and composite tooling material. In the field of Civil Engineering, HexTow® is used for concrete reinforcement and infrastructure repair. Carbon fiber is also opening new possibilities for high strength and performance in the fields of energy generation and high performance pressure vessels.

*Tensile Modulus Calculated as Chord (6000 - 1000 µ^ε) ** Strain at Failure

HexTow® Carbon Fiber Manufacturing Process

HexTow® carbon fiber from Hexcel are produced in a continuous operation in which polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor undergoes a series of precisely controlled processes. Exposure to extremely high temperature changes the precursor, yielding high strength-to-weight and high stiffness-to-weight properties through oxidation and carbonization. The successive surface treatment and sizing steps improve bonding and handle ability of the fiber. The resulting carbon fiber is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminium, and as stiff as titanium.

HexTow® carbon fiber is manufactured in a 2-step proprietary process that confers the resultant carbon fiber with their high strength and modulus.

Sizings Available with HexTow^® Continuous Carbon Fiber Products

* Compatibility with these Matrices is considered theoretically compatible. Hexcel cannot guarantee their results.

Hexcel Recommended Storage and Shelf Life
Below are inherent properties of Hexcel’s unsized carbon fiber which have an undetermined shelf life.

• Tow tensile strength
• Tow tensile modulus
• Tow tensile elongation
• Fiber density
• Mass per unit length (yield)

To enable consumer processing of carbon fiber, proprietary sizing agents are typically applied by Hexcel, such as G, GP, and GS sizes. It has been found that the original processing characteristics of G Sized carbon fiber will essentially remain constant for at least one year from the date of manufacture while GP and GS sized carbon fibers will essentially remain constant for at least five years from date of manufacture.

Carbon fiber should be stored indoors, in original containers, under the recommended storage conditions of <95°F (35°C) and < 50% RH. Direct exposure to sunlight or rain should be avoided. Shrink wrap should not be removed until immediately prior to use.

If carbon fiber is stored at high temperatures and/or high humidity conditions, or for time frames in excess of those recommended above, difficulty in processing may result. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that carbon fiber which has stiffened as a result of extended storage should undergo a thorough evaluation of processing characteristics (i.e. resin wet out, spreadability, etc.) relative to the customer’s operation before use.