Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP or CRP), is a very strong and light fiber-reinforced polymer which contains carbon fibers. The polymer is most often epoxy, but other polymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester or nylon, are sometimes used. The composite may contain other fibers such as Kevlar, aluminium, glass fibers as well as carbon fiber.

Although it can be relatively expensive, it has many applications in aerospace and automotive fields, as well as in sailboats, and notably finds use in modern bicycles and motorcycles, where its high strength-to-weight ratio and good rigidity 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.

Other terms are not uncommonly used to refer to the material, such as carbon fiber, graphite-reinforced polymer or graphite fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP is less common since it clashes with glass-(fiber)-reinforced polymer). In product advertisements, it is sometimes referred to simply as graphite fiber (graphite fibre), for short.

Noun

carbon fibre (plural carbon fibres)

1. (chiefly UK) Alternative spelling of carbon fiber.

• carbon fiber