Carbon fibre reinforced carbon (CFRC),
carbon–carbon (C/C),
or reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC)
is a composite material consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the reentry vehicles of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle orbiter. Carbon-carbon brake discs and brake pads have been the standard component of the brake systems of Formula One racing cars since the late 1970s; the first year carbon brakes were seen on a Formula One car was 1976.
Pieces of reinforced carbon–carbon including a panel removed from the wing of Space Shuttle Atlantis, showing brittle failure of C/C due to foam impact reproducing a possible event during Columbia's final launch.
The Dunlop carbon brakes as used on the Concorde airliner.
The brake disc of this Ferrari race car's braking system is made from carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide which is a CMC rather than a C/C
A composite material is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a material with properties unlike the individual elements. Within the finished structure, the individual elements remain separate and distinct, distinguishing composites from mixtures and solid solutions. Composite materials with more than one distinct layer are called composite laminates.
A black carbon fibre (used as a reinforcement component) compared to a human hair
Concrete is a mixture of adhesive and aggregate, giving a robust, strong material that is very widely used.
Plywood is used widely in construction
Composite sandwich structure panel used for testing at NASA