Introduction
Selecting the material, which can be used in order to provide workers with a container to keep their tools in, is a very tricky task. On the one hand, the box in question must be light and easy to transport; on the other hand, it needs to be durable, resistant to a variety of aggressive environments, and, most importantly, cheap enough for the company to produce. However, when the decision must be made in favor of either carbon fiber, or aluminum, or steel, the former seems to be the most promising option despite its comparatively high price. Since carbon fiber is much more durable than the rest of the materials suggested as the basis for making boxes, it should be selected as the key raw substance for creating boxes for the company staff, as the investments made in the production process will inevitably be compensated with the durability of the material, as well as comfort in its use.
Discussion
Seeing that each of the three materials in question is highly resistant to corrosion (Tavakkolizadeh & Saadatmanesh, 2009), their fortitude must be evaluated first. Indeed, according to the information provided by Tavakkolizadeh and Saadatmanesh, steel and aluminum are prone to corrosion mostly in the environment, which presupposes a disposure to certain aggressive factors (Tavakkolizadeh & Saadatmanesh, 2009, p. 201). Assessing the strength and fortitude of the target materials should be carried out in the fashion that presupposes comparing their strength to weight ratio. Also identified as the specific strength (Gite & Margaj, 2013), the characteristic in question will shed some light on both the strength and the durability of the materials, as well as the ease in their use.
Table 1. Comparative Analysis of the Fortitude of the Key Materials (Gite & Margaj, 2013, para. 2).
A closer look at the material in question will show that carbon fiber is several times more efficient than steel and aluminum alloy (9.67 and 11.07 correspondingly). The specified quality of the material shows that the box made of carbon fiber will be several times more durable and, at the same time, several times lighter than the boxes made of steel and aluminum.
Price is another essential characteristic of the materials under analysis. Unfortunately, this is one of the few issues that do not speak in favor of carbon fiber, as the latter is comparatively expensive. Defined by its efficacy, innovativeness and complicated production process, the material in question can be deemed as very expensive, its average being $10 per pound (Carbon fiber used in fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), 2015, par. 19–20). The prices for stainless steel and aluminum, in their turn, are considerably lower, which makes them a more reasonable choice for being used as the raw material for creating toolboxes.
Nevertheless, the properties of carbon fiber make the boxes made thereof outstandingly durable; as a result, utilizing carbon fiber as the key material for constructing the boxes will turn out to be economically more reasonable in the long run. Seeing that the shelf life of the product will be much longer than that one of the boxes made of steel and aluminum, the incorporation of carbon fiber into the production process seems a very legitimate step for the company to make.
Finally, the property, such as the infusibility of the carbon fiber, deserves to be mentioned along with the rest of its advantages. While aluminum and especially steel may withstand comparatively high temperatures, they still do not belong to the range of refractory materials. Though technically, carbon fiber cannot be referred to the latter as well, it can withstand considerably higher temperatures than steel and aluminum do. The specified quality of carbon fiber is especially significant in the light of the fact that the workers may need to operate in the environment of rather a high temperature and, therefore, need the containers, which will keep their tools safe and will not disintegrate into a mess by the end of the day.
Conclusion
An analysis of the existing alternatives has shown that carbon fiber seems to be the most appropriate material to use for making tool boxed. Though admittedly costly, it still beats the rest of the options, providing the safest and the most efficient mode of transporting the workers’ tools. Although the price for the material in question may raise some eyebrows, the shelf life of the product, including the properties such as durability, makes carbon fiber the most promising choice for the above-mentioned purpose. Although being rather expensive, the material in question will serve for years as opposed to the boxes made of aluminum and stainless steel. Although some of the properties of carbon fiber can be seen as somewhat questionable, it still remains one of the most successful innovations. Thus, selecting the material in question will be the most reasonable choice to be made.
Reference List
Carbon fiber used in fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). (2015). Build on Prince. Web.
Gite, B. E. & Margaj, S. R. (2013). Carbon fibre as a recent material use in construction. Civil Engineering Portal. Web.
Tavakkolizadeh, M. & Saadatmanesh, H. (2009). Galvanic corrosion of carbon and steel in aggressive environments. Journal of Composites for Construction, 5(3), 200–210. Web.