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🏎️Safety & fire class

Carbon fibre · Polymer-derived filaments with graphite-like sheets — aero, bikes and a fire story that is about the resin, not the fibre.

At a glance
Score intensity

Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.

Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology

Quick answers

Is Carbon fibre non-combustible?

Declared reaction class in this atlas: fibre A1-ish; CFRP follows the matrix. Assemblies still need resistance tests.

Does Carbon fibre insulate?

Thermal mark 24/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: high along fibre; low through-thickness in composites.

What is the density band?

~1.8 g/cm³ fibre

How is it made?

Origin story: Edison carbon filament; Shindo/Watt 1960s PAN (Japan / UK / US).

Can it be recycled?

Circularity mark 26/100 — editorial, route-specific.

Typical melting or failure heat?

sublimes; resin burns

heat 70 · fire 50

Start with this section - Safety & fire class

Safety here is encyclopedia, not a workplace assessment. Name the agent: dust, isocyanate, fibre, fume, moisture, fire.

Fire class fibre A1-ish; CFRP follows the matrix is reaction language unless an assembly test is cited.

Hazards

Process energy / dust

Mills, fibres, isocyanates, metal fume or silica — name the actual agent.

In service

Corrosion, moisture, UV or creep silently retire sections.

Fire products

Smoke, drip, fibres or toxicants depend on chemistry.

Cut / puncture

Handling injuries are more common than brochure failures.

Mis-specification

The wrong grade is the most expensive hazard.

Fire class

Reaction

fibre A1-ish; CFRP follows the matrix

Resistance

Assemblies (EI, R, Type X) are not implied by the material letter.

Test families

EN 13501, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F 2271 — they do not equal each other.

People vs structure

Clothing FR and steel R-ratings are different professions.

Environment

Carbon / energy

Primary production is energy-heavy; ask for a route, not a slogan.

Toxics / fibres

Additives, dusts and processing aids (not always the polymer backbone) drive regulation.

Water

Process water, leachate or moisture swelling.

End of life

Sortability beats theoretical recyclability.

Handling

Store dry and labelled

Grade mix-ups scrap lots.

PPE for the actual agent

Fibres, isocyanates, UV, sharp edges — not a generic “chemicals” pictogram.

Do not improvise fire class

Coatings and cavities change the letter.

Follow the WPS / DFT / compression

Installation is in the specification.

Codes move. Recheck KS, JIS, EN, NFPA and IBC editions for the job’s jurisdiction.

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