Carbon Fiber and Why We Should Use It

By

Raymond Haremza

Carbon Fiber Mesh

• Carbon Fiber Mesh developed by ESLI

• Mesh is composed of a network of carbon fibers crisscross linked into a matrix that is mostly empty space.

• 200 times thicker than the thinnest solar sail material, but so porous that it ways the same

Problems W/ Traditional Matl’s

• Tear Easy, Require heavy support structure to stretch them out and keep tensioned, and can build up static electricity, and UV degrades and melt at high temps.

Why Carbon Fiber Mesh is Awesome

• Can tolerate temps as high as 4,500 deg F• Small areal mass density and are immune to UV

degredation. 30μm compared to 2μm with same area density (~5g/m^2)

• Ability to self-deploy, the carbon scrub-pad material could be packed so it pops out flat once released. This can eliminate the need for any complicated mechanical deployment mechanism, which decrease mass of the craft.

• Easier to deploy because it doesn’t cling or wrinkle• Higher Melting Point