Carbon Fiber vs Fiberglass

In the modern composite materials industry, glass fiber and carbon fiber are both widely used reinforcement materials, but their performance, cost, and application areas are significantly different. For engineering projects that want to strike a balance between lightweight, strength, and cost-effectiveness, it is critical to understand the differences between them.

What is carbon fiber?

Carbon fiber is a high-performance fiber made by carbonizing organic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or asphalt at high temperature. It has high strength, low density, and high modulus. It is the "top student" in the current composite materials.

Main features:

Extremely high specific strength and specific modulus

Low density (about 1/5 of steel)

High temperature resistance

Good fatigue performance and dimensional stability

Strong electrical conductivity

Expensive

What is glass fiber?

Glass fiber is an inorganic non-metallic material made by drawing after melting silicate. Common glass fiber products include chopped yarn, untwisted roving, winding yarn, plied yarn, cloth, composite felt, etc.

Main features:

Low cost, high cost-effectiveness

Good electrical insulation and corrosion resistance

High strength, but average rigidity

Moderate heat resistance

Can be used for hand lay-up, winding, pultrusion, RTM and other processes

Performance comparison table

Selection Recommendations

If you're looking for the best value for money, fiberglass is undoubtedly the top choice. It's affordable and adaptable to a variety of processes (such as hand lay-up, winding, and pultrusion), making it particularly well-suited for standard applications in the construction, chemical, and electronics industries.

If your project requires extremely high structural strength and weight control, such as in the aerospace, drone, or racing industries, carbon fiber, with its high specific strength and excellent dimensional stability, represents a premium material.

In projects requiring excellent insulation or corrosion resistance, such as electrical insulation components, water treatment systems, and offshore equipment, fiberglass offers a more stable and reliable performance.

When the project prioritizes aesthetics or a technologically advanced brand, woven carbon fiber fabric is often used for casing wrapping or surface texture design, creating a high-performance, premium look.

FAQs

Is fiberglass necessarily inferior to carbon fiber?

Not necessarily. Although carbon fiber offers greater strength and rigidity, its performance is sufficient for many industrial applications. Furthermore, its low price and ease of processing make it well-suited for large-scale use.

Why is carbon fiber so expensive?

Primarily due to its complex production process, high raw material costs, and limited production capacity. Aerospace-grade carbon fiber, in particular, has manufacturing and testing requirements far higher than those of ordinary composite materials.

Is glass fiber conductive? Can it be used for electrical insulation?

Glass fiber is an insulating material, particularly suitable for use in electrical and electronic applications such as transformers, cables, and PCBs. Carbon fiber, on the other hand, is conductive and its applications must avoid the risk of current interference.

Summary

Glass fiber and carbon fiber each have their own advantages. Glass fiber, with its cost-effectiveness and wide adaptability, remains the mainstream choice in industries such as construction, transportation, and electronics. Carbon fiber, with its superior performance, has become a key material in high-end manufacturing. The choice of material depends on your project budget, performance requirements, processing methods, and end-use application. We are a Chinese glass fiber manufacturer and also export carbon fiber cloth. If you are looking for high-quality glass fiber and carbon fiber, our products are an excellent choice. For more information, please contact us through our official website.