CF
HexTow® IMA 12K
Hexcel ? Intermediate Modulus
Manufacturer page / TDSDescription
HexTow® IMA carbon fiber is a continuous, high performance, intermediate modulus, PAN based fiber available in 12K tow. Surface treated and GS sized (0.5%) to improve interlaminar shear, handling, and structural properties. Suggested for use in prepregging. The unique properties of HexTow® IMA, such as higher tensile strength and modulus, as well as good shear strength, allow designers to achieve higher safety margins for stiffness- and strength-critical applications.
Comparative overview
Carbon fiber — Intermediate-modulus carbon
Strengths: Premium balance of high tensile strength, stiffness and usable strain; a common choice for weight-critical primary structures.
When to use: Select for primary aerospace structures, high-performance pressure vessels, launch/space hardware and demanding sporting structures.
Key tradeoffs: Higher cost than standard-modulus carbon; conductive, galvanically active against metals and less impact-tolerant than aramid/UHMWPE hybrids.
Qualitative ratings (1–10 scale)
| Relative cost | 8/10 — High — aerospace-grade PAN carbon with higher modulus and strength than standard grades. |
|---|---|
| EM transparency | 1/10 — Very poor — electrically conductive and therefore poor for RF-transparent structures. |
| Temperature / fire resistance | 6/10 — Good — non-melting but oxidation in air and matrix degradation limit practical fire resistance. |
| Impact / penetration resistance | 6/10 — Good — balanced strength and strain give moderate-high impact potential; laminate architecture remains decisive. Stored TDS elongation: 1.9%. |
| Electrical / thermal conductivity | 7/10 — High — electrically conductive with moderate axial thermal transport. |
| Specific tensile strength | 10/10 — 10/10 | 3389.4 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) | 5/10 — 19.85 kg CO₂e/kg fiber — High emissions — data quality: High |
Technical properties
| Tensile strength | 6067.0 MPa |
|---|---|
| Tensile modulus | 298.0 GPa |
| Density | 1.79 g/cm³ |
| Filament diameter | 5.1 µm |
Applications and processing
AerospacePrepreg Tape