We present a revolutionary approach to enhance carbon fiber performance through advanced microstructure design and control, addressing limitations of size effects. Utilizing micromechanics, we engineered optimized microstructures and developed innovative techniques for their precise manipulation. Key to our success was the use of synchrotron radiation facilities for X-ray structural analysis, enabling hierarchical examination of single fibers. This led to ultrastrong carbon fibers with a 10% increase in tensile strength (7 GPa to 8 GPa). Our findings hold transformative potential for aerospace and energy applications requiring high-strength, lightweight materials.
- Fumihiko Tanaka
- Jun Watanabe
- Toru Ishikawa
