CF
HexTow® 85 24K
Hexcel ? Aerospace Standard
Manufacturer page / TDSDescription
HexTow® 85 carbon fiber is a continuous, PAN-based fiber available in 24K tows. Developed specifically as a cost-effective replacement of rayon-based carbon fiber for ablative applications. Provides equivalent strength and ablative performance to traditional rayon-based carbon fiber in carbon-carbon composite structures. Manufactured in the United States from U.S.-produced PAN precursor to ensure reliable supply for military ablative materials.
Comparative overview
Carbon fiber — Standard-modulus carbon
Strengths: Best-established balance of specific stiffness, strength, availability and cost within structural carbon fibers.
When to use: Select for general aerospace, automotive, industrial, sporting and woven/prepreg applications when ultra-high stiffness is unnecessary.
Key tradeoffs: Lower strength/stiffness than premium grades; brittle, electrically conductive and susceptible to galvanic coupling with metals.
Qualitative ratings (1–10 scale)
| Relative cost | 6/10 — Moderate–high — widely available industrial/aerospace PAN carbon; mid-range within the advanced-fiber market. |
|---|---|
| EM transparency | 1/10 — Very poor — conductive carbon gives very poor RF transparency. |
| Temperature / fire resistance | 6/10 — Good — non-melting, but air oxidation and polymer-matrix limits prevent a high fire score. |
| Impact / penetration resistance | 5/10 — Moderate — moderate strain and high strength; generally below glass/aramid/UHMWPE for damage tolerance. |
| Electrical / thermal conductivity | 7/10 — High — electrically conductive with moderate, grade-dependent axial thermal conductivity. |
| Specific tensile strength | 8/10 — 8/10 | 2268.9 kN·m/kg | Class median |
| 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
| Density | 1.78 g/cm³ |
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Applications and processing
AblativeAblative applicationsCarbon-Carbon composites