As we all know, carbon fiber and Kevlar have many similar characteristics, both are strong and light. But they are not a complete replacement. They are often used in different fields. Kevlar has been used for textile fields like protective clothing and bullet-resistant products for decades. And carbon fiber is mainly used in the boat and aerospace field. Kevlar and carbon fiber are two forms of synthetic fibers. The key difference between Kevlar and carbon fiber is whether the chemical structure contains nitrogen atoms or not. Kevlar essentially contains nitrogen atoms while carbon fiber does not contain them. Today we are going to discuss how these two materials are different.
Kevlar, with the chemical formula [-CO-C6H4-CO-NH-C6H4-NH-]n, is a strong synthetic fiber made from aramid polymers such as Nomex and Technora, with the molecules arranged in parallel lines, The fibers are then tightly woven together.
Same as carbon fiber, it has strong strength while keeping it light in weight. The strength of Kevlar is about 100 times stronger than steel and stronger than carbon fiber. also, Kevlar will stretch significantly without breaking under tension. So kevlar is very suitable for the field which need high tensile strength and toughness like protective clothing and bullet-resistant products.
Although Kevlar is harder than carbon fiber, it not easier to cut, sand and machine and it needs to customize specially made drill bits to proceed. If customers prefer a better abrasive, Kevlar is the best choice.
better abrasive strength
not affected by humidity
lower density
Stronger and lighter than steel
heat resistant and chemical resistance
Impact the environment as it contains nitrogen atoms
Not easy to process, can only be processed with a special drill bit
Kevlar fiber has a lower tensile strength than carbon fiber.
Made primarily of carbon atoms, carbon fiber is a lightweight material composed of tiny strands or tows. Much like the cotton production process, the aligned crystals are twisted together to make a yarn, which is then woven together to make carbon fiber cloth. Due to its very high stiffness and strength, it is widely used in aircraft structural components in the aerospace industry, automotive industry, and many other applications.
Carbon fiber is easier to cut, sand and machine
More environmentally-friendly. This is because carbon fiber doesn't contain nitrogen atoms which can impact the environment.
Thermal and electrical conductivity
High strength with low weight. Result in it being more suitable for boat manufacturing
Excellent fatigue properties
Low coefficient of thermal expansion
Besides benefits, carbon fiber also has downsides
Expensive
time-consuming and more labor to manufacture
Essentially irreparable if damaged
Although carbon fiber usually replaces steel and aluminum, it couldn't recyclable like steel and aluminum.
Both have their own advantage and disadvantage, no matter carbon fiber or kevlar. Which one is the Best, depends on what features you pay more attention to or what you're going to be using it for.
Kevlar and carbon fiber are two forms of synthetic fibers. Both materials have a high strength, the main difference being their use.
Kevlar is mainly used in the textile world. Kevlar offers better abrasive strength, it can be used to bulletproof vests. Also, use in places that need heat resistance such as firefighter suits or helmets.
Carbon Fiber is usually used in stiff lightweight structural components like aerospace manufacturing, boat building
Dronecarbon supplies both carbon fiber plate and kevlar plate. Customers can choose carbon fiber board or Kevlar board according to their needs. If you want to know more about Kevlar and carbon fiber, or want to know about other advanced composite materials that are more suitable for you, please visit our contact us page.