thread spun from pure carbon, strong enough to fly planes and light enough to fool your hand.
means a material made of thin carbon strands woven together and set in resin, prized for being stiffer and lighter than steel at a fraction of the weight.
from thomas edison baked cellulose fibers into carbon filaments for early lightbulbs in 1879, but the modern version emerged in 1960s britain when researchers at farnborough figured out how to align carbon atoms into crystal strands strong enough for jet engines.
boeing 787 dreamliner — fuselage is 50 percent carbon fiber composite, a first for commercial jets
f1 monocoque — every modern formula one chassis is a carbon fiber survival cell
lockheed sr-71 blackbird — early 1960s skin panels used carbon composites to survive mach 3 heat
specialized tarmac bike — pro cycling frames under 800 grams, built entirely from the stuff