Construction is such that the fibers are
oriented in a straight or linear manner with no twist and are able to be
maintained in that condition while being impregnated by hand. The fabric
is formed from rovings or "tows" of fibers similar to that used in making
woven fabric. These fibers are locked into position by very fine fill (or
cross machine direction) fibers which are encapsulated with an adhesive
which is compatible with common impregnating resins. These fill fibers and
the encapsulating adhesive will be visible in any clear resin. The resulting
"pattern" is normal and should not be interpreted as poor wet-out of the
reinforcing fibers.
For hand lay-ups, resin may be applied by spray, brush
or by pouring action. A short napped paint roller is recommended for spreading
the resin. Excess resin should always be rolled out in a direction parallel
to the graphite fibers. The final or external layer should be applied with
the fill yarns facing down (unexposed). Satisfactory for use with epoxies,
polyesters, vinyl esters and other resins. The fabric is rolled with a polyethylene
interliner to maintain cleanliness. Care and cleanliness should be practiced
when working with Graphite materials. Unattached graphite fibers are easily
airborne. A filter mask should be worn when cutting and fabricating. Itching
and irritation caused by broken filaments becoming imbedded in the skin
can result from filament breakage during handling. Sold by the yard.
*Warning folding for shipment can damage the filaments in the fabric.
Folding will be done at customers risk and request only. |
Composites - Carbon Fiber/Graphite
