title: Carbon-fiber tape
text: # Carbon-fiber tape
  
  Carbon-fiber tape is a flat material made of carbon fiber. It weighs one-seventh as much as steel for a given strength. The carbon fiber core lasts longer than conventional steel cable. The material is resistant to wear and abrasion and, unlike steel, does not densify and stretch.
  
  ## Applications
  
  In June 2013, KONE elevator company announced Ultrarope for use as a replacement for steel cables in elevators. It seals the carbon fibers in high-friction polymer. Unlike steel cable, Ultrarope was designed for buildings that require up to 1,000 meters of lift. Steel elevators top out at 500 meters.
  
  The company estimated that in a 500-meter-high building, an elevator would use 15 per cent less electrical power than a steel-cabled version. As of June 2013, the product had passed all European Union and US certification tests.
  
  