Carbon Fiber Properties Benefiting Military Development
Modern information warfare is a battle of both high-tech equipment and high-performance materials. Carbon fiber offers exceptional performance, being flexible on the outside yet strong on the inside, combining comprehensive electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Its high strength and toughness significantly enhance the combat effectiveness of modern weapon systems. Its exceptional properties, including low density, high strength, high modulus, high-temperature resistance, extreme cold resistance, friction resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, impact resistance, and excellent electromagnetic shielding, make it an extremely important military strategic material.
Carbon fiber composites are high-performance materials composed of carbon fibers bonded to a matrix such as resin, metal, or ceramic. They possess exceptional properties, including high strength, high modulus, low density, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature resistance. In the military sector, the performance requirements for weapons and equipment are extremely high. Due to their unique performance advantages, carbon fiber composites have become a vital material in the manufacture of modern military equipment, playing a key role in enhancing the performance and combat capabilities of these weapons and equipment.
Specific Applications of Carbon Fiber in the Military Industry
01 Aircraft Industry
Carbon fiber, with its lightweight, high strength, high modulus, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature resistance, is widely used in military applications such as rockets, missiles, and armor protection, continuously improving the performance of military equipment. Carbon fiber and its composite materials have become important strategic materials in modern national defense weaponry.
(I) Military Aircraft
Currently, composite materials account for 20% to 50% of the total structural weight of advanced military aircraft worldwide. Composite materials are primarily used in the fairing, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer wing box, wings, and center-forward fuselage. If composite materials account for approximately 50% of an aircraft’s total weight, then the majority of its structural components are made of composite materials, as is the case with the B-2 stealth bomber. The advantages of using carbon fiber in military aircraft are undeniable. For example, reducing the weight of the J-20 and F-35 by 1 kg not only brings economic benefits but also improves the aircraft’s maneuverability, giving it a significant advantage on the battlefield. The more maneuverable an aircraft is, the higher its chances of survival on the battlefield and the less likely it is to be shot down. In addition to advanced fighter jets, many helicopters are also beginning to utilize carbon fiber composites extensively in their fuselages, including the hull and wings, to reduce weight. Furthermore, drones, used to reduce the cost of warfare, have the highest carbon fiber usage of any aircraft. For example, the US Global Hawk drone uses 65% carbon fiber composites, while China’s Cloud Shadow drone uses 60%. The US Predator and Shadow drones both use over 90% composite materials, while China’s Rainbow drone also uses over 80%. This shows that the extensive use of carbon fiber composites in drones brings more significant economic benefits and improves aircraft performance.
(II) Tactical and Strategic Missiles
Carbon fiber composites, due to their strength and lightness, are highly sought after in missiles. Initially, they were primarily used in missile warheads and solid-fuel rocket nozzles, saving weight and cost while also increasing missile strength, range, and impact accuracy. Currently, carbon fiber composites are used in primary and secondary load-bearing structural components such as missile fairings, composite brackets, instrument bays, decoy bays, and launch tubes. Carbon/carbon fiber composite (C/CFRP) is also the preferred material for the nose cones, engine nozzles, and hulls of intercontinental ballistic missiles. It not only exhibits excellent thermodynamic properties, but also exhibits a low, uniform, and symmetrical ablation rate during the ablation process, maintaining a favorable aerodynamic shape and helping to reduce unguided errors. According to statistics, every 1kg reduction in the third-stage structural mass of a missile’s solid rocket motor increases its effective range by 16km. Since the 1980s, this material has been used in the solid motor casings and other structures of various tactical missiles. To reduce costs and weight, the US’s new generation air-to-surface cruise missile, ACMI58-JASSM, uses composite materials not only for its wings, tail, and air intakes, but also for all compartments of the missile body. This reduces the overall weight of the missile by 30% and reduces costs by 50%.
(III) Launch Vehicles
In the launch vehicle sector, carbon fiber composites can be used to manufacture components such as solid motor case structures, rocket fairings, instrument bays, interstages, engine nozzle throat liners, satellite mounts, and cryogenic tanks. For example, the US Neutron rocket utilizes a carbon fiber composite structure, boasting a payload capacity of 8 tons and capable of supporting missions such as manned space flight, launching large satellite constellations, and deep space exploration. Rocket motor cases must withstand internal and external pressures during operation, as well as external loads such as axial compression, bending, torsion, and shear. Therefore, the carbon fibers used are mostly high-strength, medium-modulus carbon fibers with a strength exceeding 5.5 GPa and a modulus of approximately 290 GPa, such as Japan’s Toray T800 and T1000 and the US’s Hershey IM7. In recent years, my country has widely adopted composite materials in various launch vehicle models, particularly in upper stage structures. This has effectively reduced the weight of the upper stage structure and significantly improved the launch vehicle’s payload capacity. For example, the fourth-stage engine of the “Kaitou-1” small launch vehicle uses a high-performance carbon fiber shell; the satellite interface brackets and payload brackets (front and rear end frames, ring frames, shell segments, spring brackets, and cross-shaped beams) of the Long March rockets (CZ-2C, CZ-2E, and CZ-3A) use carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites.
(IV) Satellites and Spacecraft
Currently, high-performance composite materials are widely used in satellites’ major structural components (solar arrays, payloads, mainframe structures, and trusses). The use of composite materials in satellites significantly reduces mass. Generally speaking, every kilogram (kg) of satellite mass reduced translates to a 100kg reduction in launch mass. Therefore, composite materials are widely used on satellites, particularly high-modulus carbon fiber. Advanced composite materials accounted for 50% of the structural mass of the nine Intelsat-7 satellites launched in 1993. Satellite weight reduction is crucial for improving performance and mission capabilities. Convair, a US company, fabricated four CFRP beam structures for the dual-element “OV-I” satellite, reducing weight by 68%. The CFRP connecting bracket for the Earth observation module of the US “ATS” satellite is 4.4 meters long and weighs only 3.6 kg. It can withstand a 9-ton load, weighing over 50% less than the best metal brackets, and exhibits minimal deformation under high and low temperature conditions. Since the mid-to-late 1980s, the use of composite structural components in Chinese satellites has rapidly increased, continuously reducing the mass of satellite structures. For example, the directional antenna deployment arm, an important supporting part of the directional antenna of the Chang’e-2 lunar exploration satellite launched by my country in 2011, is made of CFRP composite material developed by the Harbin Fiberglass Research Institute. It weighs only more than 500 grams, which is nearly 300 grams lighter than that of aluminum alloy, but its load-bearing capacity is no less.
02 Shipbuilding
Composite materials, with their lightweight, highly designable, and strong corrosion resistance, are the optimal material choice for future ships and equipment pursuing larger payloads, enhanced integrated stealth capabilities, and lower lifecycle costs. Compared with traditional shipbuilding structural materials such as steel and aluminum alloy, carbon fiber composite materials have the following advantages: (1) easy to make streamlined and other complex shapes; (2) better corrosion resistance than traditional metal materials; (3) can reduce noise generation by enhancing the stability of internal components under damped vibration; (4) can reduce radar cross section to achieve stealth effect; non-magnetic, not easily detected by torpedoes and mines; (5) can greatly reduce the thermal characteristics of the ship; can change the matrix and reinforcement as needed to achieve specific goals. (6) can effectively improve the stability, speed and carrying capacity of the ship;
Application Case:
The Royal Swedish Navy’s Visby-class stealth frigate is the world’s first warship built to full stealth specifications.
Haven Maritime, Inc., a US company, has launched a stealth, high-speed interceptor boat called the Barracuda. This deep-V hull boasts a maximum speed exceeding 40 knots (approximately 74 kilometers per hour) at sea and a maximum range of 370 kilometers (roughly equivalent to the sea distance from Tianjin to Yantai). It can also operate normally in sea conditions up to level 5 (waves up to 4 meters high).
03 Land Weapons and Equipment
(I) Tanks and Armored Vehicles
Carbon fiber composites also have broad application prospects in the field of combat vehicles. Using carbon fiber composites for combat vehicle bodies and key components can significantly reduce vehicle weight, improve maneuverability and battlefield survivability. Furthermore, the corrosion and high-temperature resistance of carbon fiber composites contribute to the reliability and durability of combat vehicles. Carbon fiber composites can be used to manufacture armor plating, turrets, and hulls of tanks and armored vehicles. Its excellent ballistic and impact resistance can effectively improve the protective capabilities of armored vehicles, while reducing vehicle weight and improving mobility. The application of carbon fiber composite materials in tanks and armored vehicles began in the 1970s. The Soviet T-64A was the first main battle tank to use composite armor. Today, compared with metal armor of the same protection level, composite armor developed with glass fiber, Kevlar, carbon fiber and other reinforcing materials can improve the overall performance of the vehicle body and turret structure by 30% to 50% and reduce weight by 40% to 45%.
(II) Missile Launchers
Missile launchers have high requirements for structural strength and precision, and carbon fiber composite materials can meet these requirements. For example, missile launch tubes, launch racks and other components are made of carbon fiber composite materials, which can reduce weight and improve launch accuracy and reliability. For example, my country’s renowned Dongfeng-31 missile uses a carbon fiber composite warhead casing. This reduces warhead weight, improving missile performance and increasing range and accuracy. With the Dongfeng-41 missile, the proportion of carbon fiber composite materials used has increased significantly, and the missile casing has also been replaced with carbon fiber composite materials, further improving missile performance, enabling longer range, more warheads, and greater accuracy.
(III) Graphite Bomb
During the Iraq War, one weapon that truly impressed everyone was the graphite bomb. The explosive power of this type of bomb itself is not very powerful, and the shock wave does not cause significant damage. However, the explosion produces numerous conductive filaments that can attach to electrical wires, causing short circuits and disrupting local power grids. The United States used these bombs extensively in subsequent campaigns, inflicting significant losses on the enemy. The filaments released by these bombs are a highly conductive type of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is inherently conductive, and its conductivity can be enhanced through special modifications. After a bomb releases carbon fiber filaments, due to their low density, they can float in the air for long periods of time. Once they settle, they pose a significant threat to the power grid. Once the power grid is damaged, local communications, lighting, and production will be impacted, making restoration difficult in a short period of time. Power plants may even suffer irreparable damage.
04 Protective Equipment
Due to their exceptional properties, such as light weight and high strength, carbon fiber-reinforced composites are widely used in protective clothing and helmets. Carbon fiber, used in bulletproof vests, offers advantages such as light weight, high structural strength, and excellent thermal conductivity. When a bullet strikes, it not only quickly disperses the force but also conducts heat, minimizing localized damage. Of course, carbon fiber isn’t just for fabric; carbon fiber composites can also be used to form the core material of bulletproof vests, known as protective plates. Protective plates made from carbon fiber composites are lightweight and structurally strong, effectively protecting soldiers while minimizing impact on their mobility. Furthermore, carbon fiber composites can be used to make protective equipment such as bulletproof helmets, operating in a similar way to protective plates.
Carbon fiber can be used not only to make bulletproof vests, but also thermal and electromagnetic protective clothing. Carbon fiber combined with aerogel can create excellent thermal protective clothing, protecting soldiers in high-temperature environments and improving their survivability in fires. Carbon fiber’s inherently good thermal conductivity helps disperse heat and prevent localized overheating, while aerogel effectively insulates heat, preventing harm to those inside the clothing even from a direct external fire. Electromagnetic protective clothing utilizes carbon fiber’s excellent electrical conductivity. Carbon fiber itself has excellent electrical conductivity and can shield electromagnetic waves. To enhance this shielding effect, special ingredients are often added to the carbon fiber to significantly improve its protection against electromagnetic radiation, preventing damage to soldiers.
Development Trends of Carbon Fiber in the Military Industry
(I) Low Cost
With the continuous advancement of carbon fiber production technology and the large-scale production, as well as improvements in composite material manufacturing processes, the cost of carbon fiber composite materials is expected to gradually decrease, creating conditions for their widespread application in the military industry.
(II) Intelligent Manufacturing
Leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data to achieve intelligent control and optimization of the carbon fiber composite manufacturing process, improving production efficiency and product quality.
(III) Multifunctional Integration
Develop carbon fiber composite materials with multiple functions, such as stealth, bulletproof, and impact resistance, to meet the demand for high-performance materials in future military equipment.
(IV) Green and Environmentally Friendly
Strengthen research on recycling and reuse technologies for carbon fiber composites to achieve sustainable development and reduce environmental impact.
Carbon fiber composites have been widely used in the military industry due to their excellent performance, playing an important role in improving the performance and combat capabilities of weapons and equipment. In the future, we expect to see more high-performance, low-cost, and multifunctional carbon fiber composites used in military equipment, providing strong support for national defense modernization.
Tools for processing composite carbon fibers
SZSUNLIT customized, replacing Japanese and Korean brand CFRP TOOLS.
