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HexTow® carbon fiber is the preferred carbon fiber for the world’s most advanced aerospace and industrial composite applications.
HexTow® carbon fiber is the preferred carbon fiber for the world’s most advanced aerospace and industrial composite applications.
Carbon fiber is stiffer, stronger, and lighter than other fibers. It is selected for its high strength, lightweight, superior stiffness, electrical conductivity, low thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.
The primary building blocks for carbon fiber composite materials begin with Hexcel’s HexTow® carbon fiber which is the preferred carbon fiber for the world’s most advanced aerospace and industrial applications including: Airbus A350 XWB, JSF, F18 E/F, A380, Eurofighter Typhoon, Airbus A400M, V22 Osprey, Boeing 787, and GEnx Engines.
Hexcel is a technology leader in Intermediate Modulus fiber with an in-house Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) domestic supply and dedicated R&T facilities for both precursor and carbon fiber development. Hexcel has 45 years of experience in manufacturing carbon fiber, with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Europe. Hexcel manufactures under AS9100 and ISO14001 standards and provides global Customer Support.
Learn about about Hexcel HexTow® IM9 24K carbon fiber, introduced in March 2024.
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.
| Fiber Type | Number of Filaments | Tensile Strength (ksi) | Tensile Strength (MPa) | Tensile Modulus (Msi) | Tensile Modulus (GPa) | Strain (%) | Weight/Length (g/m) | Density (g/cm3) | Standard Spool Size (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS4A | 12000 | 640 | 4413 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.8 | 0.858 | 1.79 | 8 |
| AS4 | 3000 | 670 | 4619 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.8 | 0.210 | 1.79 | 4 |
| AS4 | 6000 | 640 | 4413 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.7 | 0.427 | 1.79 | 4 |
| AS4 | 12000 | 640 | 4413 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.7 | 0.858 | 1.79 | 8 |
| AS4C | 3000 | 675 | 4654 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.8 | 0.200 | 1.78 | 4 |
| AS4C | 6000 | 645 | 4447 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.7 | 0.400 | 1.78 | 4 |
| AS4C | 12000 | 650 | 4482 | 33.5 | 231 | 1.8 | 0.800 | 1.78 | 8 |
| AS4D | 12000 | 700 | 4826 | 35.0 | 241 | 1.8 | 0.765 | 1.79 | 8 |
| AS7 | 12000 | 710 | 4895 | 36.0 | 248 | 1.7 | 0.800 | 1.79 | 8 |
| IM2A | 12000 | 770 | 5309 | 40.0 | 276 | 1.7 | 0.446 | 1.78 | 4 |
| IM2C | 12000 | 830 | 5723 | 43.0 | 296 | 1.8 | 0.446 | 1.78 | 4 |
| IM6 | 12000 | 830 | 5723 | 40.5 | 279 | 1.9 | 0.446 | 1.76 | 4 |
| IM6 | 6000 | 800 | 5516 | 40.0 | 276 | 1.9 | 0.223 | 1.78 | 4 |
| IM7 | 12000 | 820 | 5654 | 40.0 | 276 | 1.9 | 0.446 | 1.78 | 4 |
| IMA | 12000 | 880 | 6067 | 43.1 | 297 | 1.8 | 0.445 | 1.79 | 7.5 |
| IM8 | 12000 | 880 | 6067 | 45.0 | 310 | 1.8 | 0.446 | 1.78 | 4 |
| IM10 | 12000 | 1010 | 6964 | 45.0 | 310 | 2.0 | 0.324 | 1.79 | 2 |
| HM63 | 12000 | 680 | 4688 | 64.0 | 441 | 1.0 | 0.418 | 1.83 | 3 |
*Tensile Modulus Calculated as Chord (6000 – 1000 µε) ** 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Size Compatibility | Recommended Uses | Sizing Level |
| Unsized | Epoxy, Phenolic, Polycarbonate, Polyurethane, Polyester, Polysulfones, Cyanate Ester, Vinyl Ester, Nylon, BMI, PES, PEEK, PEKK, PES, PVC, Polyimide, Polypropylene | Prepreg Tape | 0 |
| G | Epoxy, Phenolic, Polyurethane | Weaving Prepreg Tape | 0.8 – 1.2
0.2 – 0.4 |
| GP | Epoxy, Phenolic, Vinyl Ester, Polyurethane and Cyanate Ester, BMI | Weaving & Filament Winding Prepreg Tape | 0.8 – 1.2
0.2 – 0.4 |
| H | Epoxy | Weaving | 0.8 – 1.2 |
| R | Epoxy, Polyester | Filament Winding | 1.2 – 1.6 |
| GS | Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, Polyurethane | Prepreg Tape | 0.3 – 0.7 |
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.
HexTow Laminate Properties in HexPly® 8552
| Typical HexPly® 8552 Epoxy Resin Composite Properties | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property | IM10 12k US Units | IM10 12k SI Units | IM7 12k US Units | IM7 12k SI Units | AS4 12k US Units | AS4 12k SI Units |
| 0˚ Tensile Strength | 480-ksi | 3310-MPa | 395-ksi | 2723-MPa | 310-ksi | 2137-MPa |
| 0˚ Tensile Modulus | 27.5-Msi | 190-GPa | 23.8-Msi | 164-GPa | 19.6-ksi | 135-GPa |
| 0˚ Tensile Strain | 1.62% | 1.62% | 1.62% | 1.62% | 1.55% | 1.55% |
| 0˚ Short Beam Shear Strength | 18.1-ksi | 125-MPa | 19.9-ksi | 137-MPa | 18.5-ksi | 128-MPa |
| 0˚ Compressive Strength | 260-ksi | 1793-MPa | 245-ksi | 1689-MPa | 222-ksi | 1530-MPa |
| 0˚ Compressive Modulus | 23.8-Msi | 164-GPa | 21.7-Msi | 150-GPa | 18.6-Msi | 128-GPa |
All data shown are normalized to 60% Fiber Volume
Engineering Starts Here
Technical Resources
Find all the documentation you need to evaluate, specify, and implement Hexcel carbon fiber composites.
Carbon Fiber
| Products | Downloads |
|---|---|
| HexTow® AS4 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS4A Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS4C Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Aerospace) | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS4C Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Industrial) | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS4D Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Aerospace) | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS4D-PC/3K Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Aerospace) | Global Version |
| HexTow® AS7 Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Aerospace) | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM5 Carbon Fiber Data Sheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM2A Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM2C Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM6 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM7 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IMA Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM8 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® PV40 Carbon Fiber Data Sheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® PV42/850 Carbon Fiber Data Sheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM9 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® IM10 Carbon Fiber Datasheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® HM54 Carbon Fiber Data Sheet | Global Version |
| HexTow® HM63 Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Aerospace) | Global Version |
| HexTow® HM63 Carbon Fiber Datasheet (Industrial) | Global Version |
| HexTow® 85 carbon fiber | Global Version |
| HexTow® 85 carbon fiber test | Global Version |
Additional Resources
BROCHURE
HexTow® HM54 carbon fiber for True Temper Golf Shafts
DATASHEET
HexTow® HM54 Carbon Fiber Data Sheet
FLYER