CF
Thornel P-55S 4K 4K
Cytec ? High Modulus
Manufacturer page / TDSDescription
Pitch-based high modulus fiber, surface-treated for ILSS
Comparative overview
Carbon fiber — High-modulus pitch carbon
Strengths: Higher stiffness and dimensional stability than standard or intermediate-modulus carbon at very low weight.
When to use: Select for stiffness-critical aerospace/space structures, sporting shafts and precision components where deflection is more important than impact tolerance.
Key tradeoffs: Lower strain-to-failure and greater handling/damage sensitivity than standard or intermediate-modulus grades; conductive and premium-priced.
Qualitative ratings (1–10 scale)
| Relative cost | 10/10 — Very high — premium pitch-carbon grades with graphitization and tight crystal-orientation control. |
|---|---|
| EM transparency | 1/10 — Very poor — conductive carbon strongly interacts with electromagnetic fields and is unsuitable for transparent radomes. |
| Temperature / fire resistance | 6/10 — Good — non-melting and stable in inert environments, but carbon oxidizes rapidly in air above roughly 425°C and polymer matrices usually limit laminates. |
| Impact / penetration resistance | 3/10 — Low — high stiffness and low failure strain reduce low-velocity damage tolerance and penetration energy absorption. Stored TDS elongation: 0.5%. |
| Electrical / thermal conductivity | 10/10 — Exceptional — pitch carbon can provide exceptional axial thermal conductivity plus electrical conduction. |
| Specific tensile strength | 3/10 — 3/10 | 860.0 kN·m/kg | Product TDS |
| Atmospheric durability | 9/10 — Excellent — carbon fiber is intrinsically resistant to UV, moisture and salt exposure; long-term laminate durability is usually governed by sizing, matrix, galvanic coupling and interfaces rather than the fiber. |
| Sustainability (CO₂e) | 4/10 — 30.00 kg CO₂e/kg fiber — High emissions — data quality: Low |
Technical properties
| Tensile strength | 1720.0 MPa |
|---|---|
| Tensile modulus | 415.0 GPa |
| Density | 2.0 g/cm³ |
| Filament diameter | 11.0 µm |
Applications and processing
High stiffness composites