Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP or CRP), is a very strong, light, and expensive composite material or fiber-reinforced polymer. Similar to fiberglass (glass reinforced polymer), the composite material is commonly referred to by the name of its reinforcing fibers (carbon fiber). The polymer is most often epoxy, but other polymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester or nylon, are sometimes used. Some composites contain both carbon fiber and other fibers such as Kevlar, aluminium, and fiberglass reinforcement. The terms graphite-reinforced polymer or graphite fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) are also used, but less commonly, since glass-(fiber)-reinforced polymer can also be called GFRP. In product advertisements, it is sometimes referred to simply as graphite fiber (or graphite fibre), for short.

It has many applications in aerospace and automotive fields, as well as in sailboats, and notably in modern bicycles and motorcycles, where its high strength-to-weight ratio is of importance. Improved manufacturing techniques are reducing the costs and time to manufacture, making it increasingly common in small consumer goods as well, such as laptops, tripods, fishing rods, paintball equipment, archery equipment, racquet frames, stringed instrument bodies, classical guitar strings, drum shells, golf clubs, and pool/billiards/snooker cues.