What was the initial barrier that limited the adoption of carbon fiber in industries like aviation and Formula 1 racing?
Answer
The extremely high cost of the material
Following the initial commercialization of carbon fiber, its adoption was restricted largely to sectors where high performance was an absolute necessity and could justify the expense, such as military aviation and specialized racing. The prohibitively high cost of production at the time meant that it could not be widely used in general manufacturing until processes became more efficient and volumes scaled up, allowing for cost reductions.
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