carbon fiber

plural carbon fibers · alternative carbon fibre

1. A very strong filament made by the pyrolysis of a synthetic fiber such as rayon.
2. A cloth or felt made from these fibers.
3. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of carbon fiber reinforced polymer/plastic, a type of strong and lightweight composite material, especially epoxied composite laminate.

   One problem, though: with prices above $8 a pound for midgrade carbon fiber, the material costs about 20 times as much as the steel it replaces.

   2004 February 9, Tim Moran, “Carbon Fiber: Light but Costly”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   1 more example

   “Anyone in our industry interested in the state of the art has to look at carbon fiber,” he said, adding that composite bikes could be common in three to five years. “Not only is it strong, and light, but you can position the fibers any way you want, to absorb all the stress you normally find in a bike.”

   1987 June 21, Lawrence M. Fisher, quoting Mr. Kutrumbus, “Shifting Out of Steel, Into Carbon Fiber”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: CFRP, carbon