Carbon fibers hazards

Electrical Hazards. Because carbon fibers are conductive, the airborne filaments can create serious problems shorting out electrical equipment. The best option is to locate sensitive equipment in clean rooms outside of areas where carbon fiber is being processed. If this is not possible, electrical cabinets must be effectively sealed to prevent contact with carbon fibers. A filtered air-positive purge provides additional protection for sensitive equipment. 

Lin, S. H. and Chen, Y. V., Adsorption and desorption characteristics of 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane by granular activated carbon and activated carbon fiber, J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part A Toxic / Hazard Subst. Environ. Eng., 1996,31(6), 1279 1292. 

The combination of toxic hazard and high price (itself in part due to the extra measures needed in production processes to ensure the workers safety) has been an effective brake on commercial development of beryllium chemistry. Where possible substitute, albeit less effective, materials are often used titanium as an alternate lightweight metal or carbon fiber composites, phosphor-bronzes in place of beryllium alloys, aluminum nitride in place of BeO (1). 

Tiny fragments of carbon fiber, if released into the atmosphere, can pose a health hazard to human beings and can cause problems for electrical and electronic equipment. Some of these human health hazards are, as discussed in Chapter 6 with regard to asbestos fiber, common to all very small diameter fibers. They can cause skin and eye irritation and a variety of lung diseases. It turns out that in... 

Carbon fibers are also of interest as replacements for asbestos fibers in friction materials, such as brake shoes (221. This move was initially driven in order to avoid the health hazards associated with asbestos. In comparison to asbestos reinforced brake formulations, isotropic carbon fibers have been shown to provide much higher friction performance and superior wear resistance, together with many advantages in operating characteristics. These advantages translate to other friction materials, such as clutch plates, and to a much broader range of applications in which carbon fibers are used as reinforcing or filler materials in various matrices. Carbon fibers in the forms of mats, felts, and paper insulation also present viable replacements for asbestos fibers. 

Electrically conductive pipes are less well known. These pipes are used to prevent electrostatic hazards in oil tanker applications. The pipe for this purpose was developed using glass fiber for reinforcement and carbon fiber to obtain conductivity. There are also methods of production of such pipe where aluminized glass fiber is mixed with reinforcing glass fiber. 

Hung, C. M. Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution. J. Hazardous Mater. 2009,166(2), 1314-1320. 

The carbon fiber mat, either alone or supplemented with a ground carbon or graphite filler, provides in-depth grounding systems and static control in hazardous areas where static sparks may result in fires or explosions. 

Hazardous Decomp. Prods. CO, CO2, NO, hydrogen cyanide NFPA Flealth 4, Flammability 3, Reactivity 2 Uses Monomer for acrylic and modacrylic fibers, paints in prod, of ABS and SAN copolymers, nitrile rubber, surfactants, adhesives, polyols, barrier resins, carbon fibers organic synthesis formerly as pesticide fumigant... 

Several papers have been published on the possible health hazards from carbon fibers [21-28] including in vitro (outside the living body and in an artificial environment) and in vivo (in the living body) studies and the conclusion reached in 1989 [29] was that PAN based... 

The hazards have been discussed [31 37] and Bowles [38] has suggested a fire test method for cfrp. The risks of fire are greatest in a confined space such as on board an aircraft, where carbon fiber can be released from a burning carbon composite, presenting... 

The reaction between urea and Aiming sulfuric acid is rapid and exothermic. It may proceed with violent boiling unless the reaction temperature is controlled. The reactants are strongly acidic. Therefore, operators should wear suitable protective gear to guard against chemical hazard. Special stainless steel, mbber lining, fiber-reinforced plastics, and polyvinyl chloride and carbon equipment are used. 

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