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Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites for Automotive Powertrain Components: A Comprehensive Review of Material
Jozef Jaroslav Fekiač1, Lucia Kakošová1, Michal Krbata1
1Faculty of Special Technology, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Ku Kyselke 469, 911 06 Trenčín, Slovakia.
Polymers
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites offer lightweight solutions for automotive powertrains. Optimal selection requires balancing thermal stability, fatigue, wear, and manufacturing costs for specific component needs.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
Background:
- Automotive powertrains demand lightweight materials like carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites to meet weight, energy efficiency, and emission reduction goals.
- CFRP materials face harsh automotive powertrain conditions including high temperatures, cyclic loads, chemical exposure, and tribological stress, impacting long-term durability.
- Conventional metallic components are increasingly replaced by CFRPs, necessitating a thorough understanding of their performance and degradation in these environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review CFRP composites for automotive powertrain applications.
- To analyze the relationship between operational requirements, material selection, reinforcement architecture, manufacturing technologies, and degradation mechanisms.
- To establish an integrated framework for selecting optimal CFRP systems based on specific component needs.
Main Methods:
- Critical comparison of high-performance thermoplastic CFRPs (CF/PEEK, CF/PPS, CF/PEKK) with thermoset composites.
- Analysis of dominant degradation mechanisms: creep, fatigue, delamination, interface degradation, and tribological wear.
- Evaluation of advanced design strategies and manufacturing technologies (injection moulding, AFP, additive manufacturing).
Main Results:
- CF/PEEK exhibits superior thermomechanical stability up to 250 °C, while CF/PPS offers a cost-effective balance for medium temperatures.
- CFRP degradation results from coupled mechanisms, with creep-fatigue reducing lifetime by 40-60% and tribological wear rates between 10^-6 to 10^-5 mm³/(N·m).
- No single CFRP system is universally optimal; selection depends on balancing thermal stability, fatigue, wear, manufacturability, recyclability, and cost.
Conclusions:
- Optimal CFRP selection for automotive powertrains is application-specific, requiring a trade-off analysis of material properties, manufacturing processes, and economic factors.
- Understanding coupled degradation mechanisms is crucial for predicting and enhancing the long-term reliability of CFRP components.
- An integrated framework linking material systems, operating conditions, manufacturing, and durability is essential for successful CFRP implementation in automotive powertrains.
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