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Carbon Fibre Tubular Braids

Carbon fibre tubular braids, sometimes referred to as carbon fibre “sleeves” or “socks”, are high-performance braided reinforcements designed for tubular and complex composite structures.

Produced using braided carbon fibre tows, these materials provide excellent conformity around mandrels, tubes and contoured geometries while maintaining the lightweight mechanical performance associated with carbon fibre composites.

Due to their braided construction, carbon braids are capable of both expansion and contraction during processing. At approximately ±45° orientation, the braid can typically expand in diameter by up to 30% and contract by up to 50%, allowing excellent adaptability to varying component geometries.

These materials are widely used across structural composite applications where lightweight reinforcement, torsional strength and conformability are important.

Key Benefits

  • Excellent drapability and conformability

  • High strength-to-weight performance

  • Good torsional reinforcement properties

  • Expandable and contractable braid construction

  • Suitable for tubular and complex geometries

  • Consistent fibre placement throughout the braid

  • Compatible with epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester resin systems

Product Range

Cristex supplies carbon fibre tubular braids in lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight constructions.

Datasheets are available on request.

Available Grades & Specifications

Below is a selection of our standard woven carbon fibre braid styles. Additional specifications may be available on request.

Diameter at ±45° (mm) Weight at ±45° (g/LM) Weight (g/m²) Yield LM per Kg at ±45° Datasheet
5 7 400 143
10 11 350 91
15 13 275 77
20 20 318 50
25 27 345 37
30 33 350 30
40 41 325 24
Diameter at ±45° (mm) Weight at ±45° (g/LM) Weight (g/m²) Yield LM per Kg at ±45° Datasheet
10 13 410 77
15 20 425 50
20 27 430 37
25 38 480 26
30 45 480 21
40 52 420 19
50 54 340 19
60 68 360 15
70 77 350 13
80 108 430 9.3
90 135 480 7.4
100 139 433 7.2
125 159 410 6.3
Diameter at ±45° (mm) Weight at ±45° (g/LM) Weight (g/m²) Yield LM per Kg at ±45° Datasheet
20 41 650 24
25 40 510 25
30 54 570 18.5
40 77 610 13
50 97 620 10.3
60 112 600 8.9
70 132 600 7.6
80 161 640 6.2
90 164 580 6.1
100 212 670 4.7
125 270 680 3.7
150 331 700 3

Applications

Carbon fibre braids are commonly used across advanced composite applications including:

  • Prosthetic and medical composite structures

  • Tubular composite components

  • Automotive and motorsport structures

  • Aerospace reinforcement structures

  • Sporting goods and performance products

  • Marine reinforcement applications

  • Industrial composite profiles and tubes

Their braided construction makes them particularly effective in applications requiring reinforcement around curved or cylindrical geometries.

Looking for lightweight braided reinforcement solutions?

Speak to our team about carbon fibre braids and structural reinforcement materials for advanced composite applications.

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Related Products

Explore a selection of related products within the Cristex range, offering various options with comparable performance and specifications to support your project requirements.