FAQs

Carbon Fibers are available across a range of strength and stiffness levels.  Standard Modulus fiber is approximately 33 Msi in modulus and 650 ksi in tensile strength.  IM, or intermediate modulus fiber, has a modulus of 42 Msi and strength of 800 ksi.  High modulus fibers are those fibers with modulus above 50 Msi.

Sizings are applied to carbon fiber to help protect the fiber as it is processed by customers.  Typically carbon fibers are woven into fabrics, made into prepregs, filament wound or processed in some other fashion.  The sizing, usually an epoxy-based material, is applied to help protect the fiber tow from damage.  In some cases, fibers can be handled in an unsized form as well.

Carbon Fiber is a reinforcing fiber made from precursor fibers such as PAN (polyacrylonitrile) or Pitch.  Carbon Fibers are used in a wide range of applications where strength and stiffness are required and reducing weight is important.

Aerospace Grade fiber is required for the more demanding applications where the fiber properties are tested and then certified to a customer’s specification.  Usually, aerospace grade fibers have more traceability as well as higher and more consistent properties.  Industrial Grade fibers are certified to the supplier’s specification.

The manufacturing process to be used typically dictates the tow size (or number of filaments in the yarn bundle) to be selected.  For weaving fabrics, smaller tow size such as 3K (3000 filaments in the yarn bundle) or 6K might be used.  For heavier fabrics, prepreg tapes or filament winding, a larger tow size such as 12K might be preferred.

Products made by combining two or more dissimilar materials such as fibers and resins to create a product with exceptional structural properties not present in the original materials.

The use of composites was pioneered by the aerospace industry, which sought high performance lightweight alternatives to traditional materials. The benefits were soon adopted by ground transportation industries (marine, rail and automotive) and for sports goods.

Composites are used in place of conventional materials such as metal and wood to achieve sophisticated designs with weight savings and other performance advantages. Although composites are often used to replace metal or wood in existing designs, the maximum benefits are obtained in components that have been designed for composites.

Honeycomb is a lightweight core material, available in a wide range of materials and cell configurations, supplied by Hexcel in sheet form, in blocks for expansion by the customer or as special process components.

The forming, shaping, machining or bonding of sheets or blocks of honeycomb into profiled and complex shapes, for use as semi-finished components in the fabrication of composite parts and structures. Hexcel supplies customers with high quality components with precise dimensional tolerances which eliminate subsequent manufacturing stages and processes.

Hexcel has manufactured honeycomb for over 50 years and offers the widest range of materials and configurations in the industry. Please refer to our Honeycomb Section to find our offered products and the associated data for those products.

Hexcel has a number of distributors worldwide for small quantities of honeycomb. Please contact customer service for details.

Hexcel manufactures honeycomb in Casa Grande, Arizona, U.S.A. and Duxford, U.K.

Honeycomb prices range from $1 to $500 per board foot, depending on the performance required including strength, stiffness and temperature.   

Honeycomb is supplied expanded in sheet form for all product lines, in HOBE slice form (Honeycomb before Expansion) for our Aluminum product lines, or in block form for expansion by the customer.

Please contact your local customer service center. It helps us to process your order more quickly if the following information is supplied:

• Material type
• Specification 
• Cell size
• Sheet size (length, width, thickness)
• Quantity 

For more information on honeycomb selection please consult the Hexcel Honeycomb Attributes and Properties manual.

Please state: - Core material, eg. Aluminum with grade 5052, 5056; Aramid paper/Nomex (from DuPont); glass, etc.

• Cell size
• Required density
• Any special requirements, eg.:
  • Perforated (aluminum only)
  • Unexpanded (HOBE) - aluminum only
  • Dimensional tolerances
• Application
• Specification 
• Dimensions required: Length* x Width x Thickness 

* always in the ribbon direction, ie. parallel to the flow of the material. Please note we may offer our nearest standard honeycomb sheet size to meet your size requirements.

Additional Information
When requesting a quotation please provide a contact name, telephone number and e-mail address in case additional information is required. If appropriate, please state the full material control specification, otherwise our offer will be based on releasing to our In-House standard. 

Also advise:

• Invoice and delivery addresses
• Required delivery date and quantity for the order, or first drop.
• Total annual quantity and duration.
• Quantity per order with, if applicable, scheduled drops.

Selection is governed by the achievable cure temperature and the maximum service temperature of the component. Consult the prepreg selector guide and Hexcel's Technical Support department for advice on prepreg selection.

Please note that Hexcel's lowest temperature curing prepregs are currently HexPly® M34 and HexPly® M79 for industrial applications.

Please contact Customer Service.

Please contact Customer Service.

Please contact your local Customer Service center. It would help us to process your order more quickly if you supplied the following information:

• Designation
• Quantity
• Width
• Specifications

Prepregs are used for a wide range of applications requiring high strength and stiffness combined with low weight. The use of prepreg was pioneered by the aerospace industry, closely followed by developments for sports goods, performance boats, F1 and Indy cars. Recent innovations have included train bogies and wind turbine blades.

Please provide:

• Product designation
• Selected matrix (from selector guide or data sheet)
• Resin content
• Reinforcement type (for example, aramid, glass, carbon, hybrid)
• State if reinforcement is woven or unidirectional
• For woven reinforcements, advise weave style, fabric weight and grade of fiber
• For unidirectional reinforcements, advise fiber weight or cured thickness

We will advise on standard roll size and product width.

Additional Information
When requesting a quotation please provide a contact name, telephone number and e-mail address in case additional information is required. If appropriate, please state the full material control specification, otherwise our offer will be based on releasing to our in-house standard. Also advise:

• Invoice and delivery addresses
• Required delivery date and quantity for the order, or first drop
• Total annual quantity and duration
• Quantity per order with, if applicable, scheduled drops

A composite material made from combining high performance reinforcement fibers or fabrics with a thermoset or thermoplastic resin matrix. When cured under high temperature and pressure, exceptional structural properties are achieved.

Minimum order quantities vary according to product type.  For small orders we recommend that you contact your local Hexcel Official Distributor.

Hexcel prepregs are based on four main matrix types: epoxy, phenolic, bismaleimide and cyanate ester. Reinforcements include carbon, glass, aramid and hybrid fibers in both woven and unidirectional form.

A thermoset resin (for example, epoxy, BMI) that is supplied in film form, and cured under heat and pressure to bond a wide range of composite, metallic and honeycomb surfaces. Hexcel markets its film adhesives under the HexBond^TM trademark.

These high performance structural adhesives are ideal for metal to metal and composite bonding, and for the manufacture of honeycomb sandwich structures. They are excellent for covering large surfaces with an even layer of adhesive providing assurance of complete surface coverage. They are easy to handle and postion, clean to use without spillage and safe. Hot melt adhesive films do not contain solvents and have generally very low odour. Curing is controlled by the heating process allowing the adhesives to be laid and postioned in one location and time and cured in another. 

See HexBond^TM Selector Guide.

See HexBond^TM Selector Guide and technical data sheets

Film adhesives are supplied in roll form. They come in different film thicknesses which are defined by their areal weight. The films are heat sensitive and when not in immediate use should always be stored in a freezer, usually at -18°C. Before use they must be removed from freezer and allowed to acclimatise to room temperature without opening the packaging so as to avoid condensation. The film is laid out on a suitable cutting table and cut to shape before removal of the polythene cover.

Please contact your local Customer Service Center.

Please provide:

• Product designation
• Curing or service temperature
• Film weight
• Application

Product selection depends on the density requirement and the properties required from the foam (e.g. insulation, ski cores). See Selector Guide.

Modipur polyurethanes are the result of a reaction of combining two-component thermoset systems. Usually processed in a match-mould set-up, PUR is supplied in drums of 210kg, 1 ton containers or bulk transport. For the Component 2 (Isocyanate) Hexcel uses MDI and HDI and variations rather than TDI or IPDI Isocyanates.

The cost is dependent on the specific requirements for the formulation and the required additives as well as the overall quantity considered. Please contact Customer Service for information.

When requesting a quotation please provide a contact name, telephone number and e-mail address in case additional information is required. If appropriate, please state the full material control specification, otherwise our offer will be based on releasing to our in-house standard. Also advise:

• Invoice and delivery addresses
• Required delivery date and quantity for the order, or first drop
• Total annual quantity and duration
• Quantity per order with, if applicable, scheduled drops

Minimum package size is 210kg for the Polyole (Component 1) and 250 kg for the Isocyanate (Component 2). For sample purposes smaller quantities may be arranged.

Hexcel offers mainly 2 component PUR systems as rigid or integral foams for the ski-and snowboard industry; a PUR system for Wet Lay Up Process and rigid and semiflexible systems for industrial applications.

PUR systems offer cost saving advantages for high performance components production. In the recreation industry the properties of the material enable complex shapes to be achieved at low curing temperatures in short cycles.

Contact your local Customer Service center.

Contact your local Customer Service center.

Laminates can be supplied in rolls, cut rolls and sheets.

Skis, snowboards, X-country skis, ice hockey shafts, industrial applications (e.g. skins for sandwich panels), automotive.

Hexcel's Polyspeed laminates are epoxy or phenolic impregnated reinforced materials, in which the matrix is already cured.

When requesting a quotation please provide a contact name, telephone number and e-mail address in case additional information is required. If appropriate, please state the full material control specification, otherwise our offer will be based on releasing to our in-house standard. Also advise:

• Invoice and delivery addresses
• Required delivery date and quantity for the order, or first drop
• Total annual quantity and duration
• Quantity per order with, if applicable, scheduled drops

Unpressed laminates - woven reinforcements only Pressed laminates - woven and UD material for high performance. See product selector for Polyspeed laminates.

Hexcel manufactures laminates at its plant in Neumarkt, Austria