Carbon fiber is a long, thin strand of material made from carbon. It is produced by baking precursors, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), pitch, and rayon, in an inert atmosphere to dissociate elements other than carbon. Carbon fiber is lightweight and has excellent strength, low specific gravity, excellent modulus of elasticity, and high corrosion resistance. Carbon fiber composite materials are used to make aircraft & spacecraft parts, bicycle frames, pipes & tanks, wind blades, golf shafts, badminton rackets, automobile springs, sailboat masts, automotive structural parts, and various other parts where lightweight and high strength are required.

The 360 Quadrant maps the carbon fiber companies based on criteria such as revenue, geographic presence, growth strategies, investments, channels of demand, and sales strategies for the market presence of the Carbon Fiber quadrant. While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included Raw Material (PAN, Pitch), Fiber Type (Virgin, Recycled), Product Type (Continuous, Long, Short), End-Use Industries (Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy, Pipes, Sporting Goods, Medical & Healthcare, Construction & Infrastructure, Pressure Vessels, Others).

Key trends highlighted in 360 Quadrants: