Carbon Fiber Composite Material
Index
Because of the high specific modulus and strength of carbon fibers, they are interesting materials for high performance composites. The SEM-photograph shows the fracture surface of a carbon fiber-epoxy matrix composite produced by compressive loading. Fracture followed fiber buckling under the loading conditions.

For a carbon fiber-epoxy matrix composite with a fiber volume fraction of 60%, the material density is 1.6 Mg.m3, the longitudinal Young's modulus is 220 GPa, the longitudinal UTS is 1.4 GPa, elongation to fracture 0.8 %, and thermal expansion coefficient: 
-0.2 x 10-6 C-1. For the transverse direction, the Young's modulus is 7 GPa, the UTS 38 MPa, elongation to fracture 0.6 %, and the thermal expansion coefficient 30 x 10-6 C-1. 
From: Hull,
An Introduction to Composite Materials,"
Cambridge (1992)