If you have been looking for carbon fiber you have probably noticed that it is hard to find. Where did it go? Well, believe it or not, there has been a worldwide shortage of carbon fiber because it is being bought by three main users faster than it can be produced.

			F-22 Raptor has over 350 carbon/epoxy parts

The first is the military.
Since carbon is up to 100 times lighter than some metals, it is ideal for aircraft. The F-22 Raptor has over 350 carbon/epoxy parts. Nearly 1/3 of the Joint Strike Fighter Plane will be made of carbon and fiberglass.

Besides these two aircraft, carbon is also used for Blackhawk helicopters, body armor, helmets, holsters, and countless other military applications. These applications are on top of the already huge use of carbon in stealth technology.

			Airbus Superjumbo A350

The second big buyer of carbon is the Airbus company.
The Airbus Superjumbo A 380 and A350 are built with a great deal of carbon fiber. The A 380 is due to be released this year, so they are still in the production stages. This plane is huge. Note the double row of windows along the whole length of the plane. It will hold 850 passengers and has a wingspan greater than the length of a football field!

The third buyer is Boeing. They are making the 787 Dreamliner. It is 50% carbon fiber and is so light that it will be able to fly from England to Austrailia without refueling. It is just now being built and is expected to fly in 2008.

			Boeing 787 Dreamliner

So, with these huge buyers out there, finding carbon fiber is harder than ever. Many suppliers on the web are showing “Out of Stock” for all their carbon. TAP Plastics, however, has Carbon Fiber in stock!

Due to the cost and uncertain supply of carbon, some fabricators are using S-2 glass. S-2 glass is a high performance fabric that was developed originally for military applications. It is 30% stronger and 15% stiffer than E-glass. It comes 30” wide in two weights: 3.7 oz. and 5.6oz. One of the big advantages of S-2 glass is that it is compatible with both polyester and epoxy resins, unlike carbon. At a fraction of the cost of carbon, this might be the solution you are looking for! Give it a try.

When will carbon be plentiful again? We don’t know. The industry is building new production plants to meet this demand; however the first plant is not expected to be completed until 2007. So this shortage could be with us a while. In the mean time, keep checking our website for the latest developments.