Aircraft, graphite—polymer composites

Other fibers and polymers have also been used, and the trend is toward increased utilization of composites in automobiles and aircraft. For example, a composite of graphite fibers in a polymer matrix is used in the construction of the F-117 Stealth fighter and other military aircraft. Graphite-polymer composites are used in a number of sporting goods such as golf club shafts, tennis racquets, fishing rods, and skis. The F-16 military aircraft was the first... 

Carbon matrices are more suitable than polymers ones for applications at temperatures of 250 to 600°C. Above 600°C they are, however, (as are the C-fibers as such) only utilizable in inert atmospheres. C-fiber reinforced carbon matrix composites are particularly used in aircraft brakes, in fusion reactors and as a substitute for monolithic graphite. In addition they are utilized in the medical sector (implants), in furnace construction (heaters) and in energy conversion (heat exchangers). The market for carbon fiber/carbon matrix composites in 1993 was estimated to be ca. 250 t. 

These polymers show good flame resistance and low smoke, and some have been introduced on a development scale for potential use in graphite composites and as electrical insulation for aircraft. Some polyphosphine oxides have been shown to be suitable for optical applications (44). 

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