CFSMC
carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material
CFSMC, or Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (also known as CSMC or CF-SMC), is a ready to mold carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material used in compression molding. While traditional SMC utilizes chopped glass fibers in a polymer resin, CFSMC utilizes chopped carbon fibers. The length and distribution of the carbon fibers is more regular, homogeneous, and constant than the standard glass SMC. CFSMC offers much higher stiffness and usually higher strength than standard SMC, but at a higher cost.
Manufacturing
CF-SMC are made up of carbon tow chunks, spread between two layers of uncured thermosetting resin. The carbon fibre tows are cut from prepreg UD tape. The originating tape can be made up of a certain number of fibres (filaments), thus affecting the properties of the final composite: values can vary from 3 to 50 thousand filaments, while typical tow lengths are within 10 to 50 mm. As for the resin, thermosetting resins are used: possible choices are polyester, vinyl ester or epoxy, with the former being the cheapest and the latter being the most performant. Despite not being as strong nor stiff as epoxy, vinyl ester is often used for its properties like corrosion and higher temperature resistance. The constituents are combined in sheets of prepreg material. The tows usually fall from the cutter onto one of the two layers of resin, and are then covered by the second layer.
The public source identifies “CFSMC” as carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around CFSMC, carbon and fiber.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “CFSMC”, the useful work is to connect “carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 19, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q28456772. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “CFSMC”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow CFSMC primary sources, CFSMC archive and CFSMC research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “CFSMC”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “CFSMC” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.