Carbotanium

Carbotanium is a patented composite material invented by Modena Design, the carbon composite manufacturing and consultancy arm of the Italian car company Pagani. It is a combination of beta titanium alloy with advanced carbon composites, having a matched yield strength and moduli of elasticity ratio. When the combination is adhesively bonded both parts will approach maximum yield strength and fail at a similar amount of total strain. The titanium and carbon composites are combined by first abrading the titanium to be bonded, coating the titanium with platinum, aging the titanium, spraying primer on the coated titanium, applying adhesive to the primer side of the titanium and then applying the carbon to the adhesive. This allows the carbon composite to bond securely to the titanium. This composite uses the best properties of each component, the combination having a better set of properties than either part. This material is both strong and light.^[1]

Usage

Pagani has applied this weave on their latter extra strong and lightweight supercars, the Zonda R and Huayra. Although not all Zondas are made from carbotanium, some are formed from carbon fibre. They have also used other variations of metal/composites.

References