Graphene-reinforced carbon fiber may lead to affordable, stronger car materials

A new way of creating carbon fibers -- which are typically expensive to make -- could one day lead to using these lightweight, high-strength materials to improve safety and reduce the cost of producing cars, according to a team of researchers. Using a mix of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, the team found that adding small amounts of the 2D graphene to the production process both reduces the production cost and strengthens the fibers.