Keeping cool with carbon

For automotive applications where nonconductivity is important, partially carbonized fibers fit the bill. The original PAN fiber is oxidized at 190 to 280?C for 5 hr to partially carbonize it. The result is approximately 60% carbon content. Firewall insulation of VW Gold IV with covering felt in oxidized PAN fiber. Good heat resistance, light weight, and electrical nonconductivity make this material a good candidate for the application. MercedesBenz turbodiesel truck engine compartment showing the hood liner using nonwoven OPF. Today's high-performance engines generate more heat than current insulation can handle. Most of us have long been aware of the sexy applications of carbon-fiber composite materials. Composites make race-car bodies, tennis rackets, aircraft parts, and masts for yachts light and superstrong. We've also known that regular carbon fiber is electrically and thermally conductive, which makes it perfect for some automotive applications and perfectly wrong for others. Not as many of us know about a whole other family of related materials based on partially carbonized fiber. These materials are becoming increasingly important to the automotive industry for applications where nonconductivity is crucial. The material has already caught on in Europe, and