Carbon fiber products with different K numbers
For carbon fiber products, there are different K numbers. Since carbon fiber is a bundle of filaments, K represents a thousand single filaments in the bundle. For example, 12K carbon fiber means that there are 12,000 filaments in each bundle of carbon fibers, and 3 per bundle. There are 3,000 filaments in carbon fiber.
The diameter of each carbon fiber in the tow is different. For example, the diameter of pitch-based carbon fiber is more than 10 μm, while the diameter of PAN-based carbon fiber monofilament is 5-8 μm, and the carbon content is about 95%; for high-modulus PAN-based carbon fiber single The diameter of the wire is 4.5μm, and the carbon content is as high as 99%.
1K Carbon Fiber
1K carbon fiber: is a very rare fiber, it is lighter than other fibers, it is also very expensive, it is mostly used for finishing surfaces, most companies cannot even calculate the stress inside the weave, its approximate linear density is 66 grams/1000m.
2K Carbon Fiber
2K carbon fiber: It is the rarest carbon fiber on the market, currently manufactured by no more than 2 carbon fiber manufacturers in the world. It gives carbon fiber panels perfect stiffness, low weight and good vertical compliance (comfort), but at the same time is very expensive.
3K Carbon Fiber
3K carbon fiber: The most popular and common type of carbon fiber. It gives the carbon fiber panel a classic carbon fiber look. 3K is the workhorse of carbon fiber, which is lightweight, relatively strong, and easy to manufacture. 3K has higher elongation at break and ultimate strength than 6K, 9K or 12K.
Since 3K is a smaller fiber bundle, it can weave thinner fabrics than 12k, and can also wrap thin tubes with filaments, it is mainly used in aviation, industry, construction, sports, leisure products, etc., with a typical linear density of 198 grams / 1000m.
6K Carbon Fiber
6K Carbon Fiber: Use 6K to wet out more easily than 12K and drape better. It is used in aerospace, building reinforcement, car modification and other fields, with a linear density of 396 g/1000m.
12K Carbon Fiber
12K carbon fiber: Most carbon fiber manufacturers will probably use 12K to keep costs down because the fabric is less expensive than other K-number fabrics. 12K is easier to make, less work and cheaper. It has higher tensile strength but is not suitable for certain parts of the bike. It is used in military, industrial robots and scientific equipment, and its linear density is 800g/1000m.
24K and 48K Carbon Fiber
24K and 48K carbon fiber: mainly industrial-grade carbon fiber, which is mainly used in the manufacture of filters, heat insulation, work clothes sewing, soft furniture and mattress manufacturing, etc.
