Fiber comparison
Flax fiber (natural) vs Carbon fiber (IM7)
Every value below is a typical room-temperature figure with its source, test method and conditions — the same dataset that drives the calculators.
| Property | Flax fiber (natural) | Carbon fiber (IM7) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.5 g/cm³ | 1.78 g/cm³ | Carbon fiber (IM7) — 19% higher |
| Young's modulus E | 58 GPa | 276 GPa | Carbon fiber (IM7) — 4.8× higher |
| Tensile strength | 800 MPa | 5516 MPa | Carbon fiber (IM7) — 6.9× higher |
Where these numbers come from
- Pickering, Efendy & Le, Composites Part A 83 (2016) — natural fibre review
- Hexcel HexTow carbon fiber product datasheet
Typical room-temperature values for learning and preliminary design; grades vary widely and a supplier datasheet always overrides a textbook figure. Confirm against the datasheet before design work.