Does cold molded carbon fiber and Kevlar have much advantage over fiberglass cloth and mat? I like the look of carbon fiber but don't want to spend the money to use it in a cold molded project if it's just for appearance.
Does cold molded carbon fiber and Kevlar have much advantage over fiberglass cloth and mat? I like the look of carbon fiber but don't want to spend the money to use it in a cold molded project if it's just for appearance.
"There are no bad materials - only bad applications"
The way the question is phrased is very open ended:
If the part is not highly stressed or loaded and weight isn't a major consideration then regular tooling grade polyester resin and fiberglass mat will do fine.
If you're making a tub for a weight-constrained race vehicle, a 28' long, 32 pound racing scull, or a bicycle frame - carbon, Kevlar, Divinycel, and epoxy or vinylester resin are needed.
The advantages of "exotic" composite materials is typically a much higher specific modulus to weight ratio of both the fiber and the completed part. That said - carbon fiber is the new chrome, and it's obviously desirable from an aesthetic standpoint.
The short answer is:
There's an inexhaustible supply of hard information about this topic in books and the internet in the form of technical data sheets and manufacturer sites.
Reply back to this post w/ your application problem you're trying to solve. I or others may have experience relevant to your challenge.
Without knowing the matrices, it's not possible to say.
Right after I joined the GRM forum I started a thread about building a low powered plywood and fiberglass formula car powered by an air cooled 250cc motorcycle engine. The idea won't leave me alone so I've begun to research the idea and make some sketches. My circumstances won't alow me to begin building right now but that's for the best becaue it will force me to complete the design work before I start the project. Hopefully I wont' have many do overs that way. Anyway, that's what brought about this thread. As the disign and my research progress I'm sure I'll dig this thread back out from time to time. Fortunately, some of you are quite knowledgeable on the subject.
When I have time I've been reading about carbon fiber but just hadn't come across any specific answer to my question. Admittedly part of my intention was to make it look cool.
Make your buck/mold and then make a fiberglass version. That will fix or make light of problems before moving to a more expensive material.
The idea is to return to the simplicity of this but with a contemporary formula car profile.
However, the fuel and oil tanks would not be the roll bar.
Can you imagine? The tub would be made from Plywood, treated with a fire resistent coating, allowed to dry thoroughly and then covered with fiberglass. A square and round tube inner frame would form the roll bars and seat mounting. I don't have a tubeing bender so I would have to sub out the metal work.
So that's the concept and thus the question about cold molding carbon fiber and kevlar. There woud be no vacuum baging or autoclave.
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