Automotive And Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is used extensively in high-end automobile racing. The high cost of carbon fiber is mitigated by the material’s unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio, and low weight is essential for high-performance automobile racing. Racecar manufacturers have also developed methods to give carbon fiber pieces strength in a certain direction, making it strong in a load-bearing direction, but weak in directions where little or no load would be placed on the member. Conversely, manufacturers developed omnidirectional carbon fiber weaves that apply strength in all directions. This type of carbon basalt fiber assembly is most widely used in the “safety cell” monocoque chassis assembly of high-performance racecars.
Many supercars over the past few decades have incorporated CFRP extensively in their manufacture, using it for their monocoque chassis as well as other components.
Storage tanks can be made of fiberglass with capacities up to about 300 tonnes. The smaller tanks can be made with chopped strand mat cast over a thermoplastic inner tank which acts as a preform during construction. Much more reliable tanks are made using woven mat or filament wound fibre with the fibre orientation at right angles to the hoop stress imposed in the side wall by the contents. They tend to be used for chemical storage because the plastic liner (often polypropylene) is resistant to a wide range of strong chemicals. Fiberglass tanks are also used for septic tanks.
House building
Glass reinforced plastics are also used in the house building market for the production of roofing laminate, door surrounds, over-door canopies, window canopies and dormers, chimneys, coping systems, heads with keystones and sills. The use of fiberglass for these applications provides for a much faster installation and due to the reduced weight manual handling issues are reduced. With the advent of high volume manufacturing processes it is possible to construct fiberglass brick effect panels which can be used in the construction of composite housing. These panels can be constructed with the appropriate insulation which reduces heat loss.

Pro bike: Denis Menchov's Katusha Canyon Aeroad CF

Former Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov returns to his Russian roots for the 2012 season after just a single year with the ill-fated Geox-TMC squad. His move to Katusha means he'll be competing on bikes from German company Canyon instead of his previous Fujis.
Menchov will likely have any number of Canyon's road and time trial bikes at his disposal this year but for now, his primary machine is the Aeroad CF – the same chassis that Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) rode to huge successes last season.
Canyon didn't design the Aeroad in the wind tunnel, instead focusing on building the frame with nominally aero tube profiles and minimizing frontal area. As compared to the company's more traditional Ultimate CF SLX, the Aeroad isn't as stiff either in torsion or at the drivetrain – particularly with the downsized 1-1/8 to 1-1/4in steerer instead of Canyon's usual OneOneFour fork – but it's still up to the task and clearly didn't seem to slow Gilbert down.
Frame weight is a touch heavier than the Ultimate CF SLX at just over 1,000g for Menchov's medium size – not an especially impressive number as compared to true lightweights but given the realities of the UCI's minimum weight rule, Katusha will still have no problem keeping Menchov's new bike right at that mark. Even with an SRM power meter, an SRM PowerControl 7 computer head, Elite bottle cages and Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR training clinchers installed, weight is just 7.19kg (15.85lb), according to team officials.
Other key components include a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 group and carbon bodied pedals, a Ritchey WCS aluminum semi-anatomic bar and forged aluminum stem, a Selle Italia Flite Team Edition saddle, an Acros integrated headset, and Canyon's own shock-absorbing VCLS carbon and basalt fiber aero-profile seatpost.
Menchov's biggest result came in 2009 when he won the Giro d'Italia but subsequent years have been less satisfying – he wasn't even able to contend last year's Tour de France as Geox-TMC didn't receive a wild card invitation. The Russian has publicly declared the Tour to be his main objective this year, however, so we can expect to see more of this Aeroad – along with Canyon's new time trial bike – later this season.

Carbon fiber in civil engineering applications 

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer- has over the past two decades become an increasingly notable material used in structural engineering applications. Studied in an academic context as to its potential benefits in construction, it has also proved itself cost-effective in a number of field applications strengthening concrete, masonry, steel, cast iron, and timber structures. Its use in industry can be either for retrofitting to strengthen an existing structure or as an alternative reinforcing (or prestressing material) instead of steel from the outset of a project.

Fiberglass hand lay-up operation

Resin is mixed with a catalyst or hardener if working with epoxy, otherwise it will not cure (harden) for days/weeks. Next, the mold is wetted out with the mixture. The sheets of fiberglass are placed over the mold and rolled down into the mold using steel rollers. The material must be securely attached to the mold, air must not be trapped in between the fiberglass and the mold. Additional resin is applied and possibly additional sheets of fiberglass. Rollers are used to make sure the resin is between all the layers, the glass is wetted throughout the entire thickness of the laminate, and any air pockets are removed. The work must be done quickly enough to complete the job before the resin starts to cure. Various curing times can be achieved by altering the amount of catalyst employed. It is important to use the correct ratio of catalyst to resin to ensure the correct curing time. 1% catalyst is a slow cure, 2% is the recommended ratio, and 3% will give a fast cure. Adding more than 4% may result in the resin failing to cure at all.[6] To finish the process, a weight is applied from the top to press out any excess resin and trapped air. Stops (like coins) are used to maintain the thickness which the weight could otherwise compress beyond the desired limit.

The increased demand for high performance basalt fiber ?

The increased demand for high performance and environmentally friendly materials creates new challenges for producers. To improve products properties and cut costs of production, the leading companies on the market have to permanently search for new materials with enhanced characteristics.
One of the most prominent material to meet the challenge is high performance and inexpensive basalt fiber which is ideally suited for applications requiring combination of high mechanical properties, alkali/acid/water resistance, heat stability and environmental friendliness.
Successfully supplying Basfiber? products for auto headliners, car’s exhausting systems, brake pads and thermo insulation, Kamenny Vek is currently focusing on development of products for fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.
We will be proud to provide our visitors with any information about our products and discuss possibility of using basalt fiber in their projects.

What Are Plastic Composite Materials?

An increasing number of manufacturers are discovering the benefits of composite plastic materials. They are used extensively in a range of products, from consumer and medical applications to transport and aerospace structures. Science and technology have helped industries combine and improve these versatile materials to create lighter, stronger and more flexible structures and products.
Definition
Although there are many kinds of composites both natural and manmade, commonly the term refers specifically to reinforced plastics and polymers.
A plastic composite is a combination of two materials: a matrix, or resin solution, and a reinforcement. The polymer matrix surrounds and binds the reinforcement, which is a cluster of fibers or fragments of a much stronger material. These two components have different attributes, but together they give the composite unique properties otherwise unavailable from the individual materials.
Polymer and Plastic Composites
The most common polymer and plastic composites include: fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs); sheet molding compounds (SMCs); bulk molding compounds (BMCs); prepreg materials; and fabricated composite parts.
The most popular composites are FRPs that incorporate a structural fiber and a plastic. The fiber ensures the composite has structure and strength, while the plastic polymer holds the fibers together.
The Matrix
There are several categories of plastic resins for the matrix available on the market, depending on the raw ingredients in their composition. The most common kinds include: polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, phenolic, polyimide, polyamide, polypropylene and PEEK.
Resins are available as compounds, liquids, pellets and powders. They not only hold the reinforcement together, but also protect the fibers from damage by sharing the stress among them. Resins determine the physical properties of the end products.
The matrix is soft enough to allow tool shaping. If damaged, manufacturers can repair it by softening with certain solvents.
Reinforcement
The reinforcement materials -- usually fibers and ground minerals -- have special mechanical and physical attributes that enhance the matrix properties. Common types of fibers used in FRP composites include: fiberglass, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, boron fiber, basalt fiber and natural fiber such as wood, flax or hemp.
While glass fibers are the most common, many advanced composites use pure carbon fine fibers. These are much stronger than glass fibers, but also more costly to produce. They usually go into aircraft structures and sporting goods. In the medical world, they serve as bone repair and replacement material where metal would have been used in the past.
Benefits of Composites
Composites often provide an advantage compared to materials such as metal and wood. They are strong and lightweight, which makes them ideal for use in the aviation, medical and sporting goods industries. Composites go into whole sections of a plane, such as wings, tails, propellers and most of the internal structure and fittings. The material helps improve flying speed and is less likely to break up under stress. While a small crack in a piece of metal can spread rapidly, the fibers in a composite block are better able to handle stress.
Composites are durable materials, widely used in products such as boats, chemical-handling equipment and spacecraft, which are exposed to extreme environments, from high heat to corrosion.
Last, but not least, the plastic composites allow for an impressive design flexibility and manufacturers can mold them into complex shapes useful for certain end products such as a tennis racket or a gold shaft.

Vacuum bag can be used carbon fiber

For simple pieces of which relatively few copies are needed, (1–2 per day) a vacuum  bag can be used. A fiberglass, carbon fiber or aluminum mold is polished ,basalt fiber and waxed,  and has a release agent applied before the fabric and resin are applied, and the  vacuum is pulled and set aside to allow the piece to cure (harden). There are two  ways to apply the resin to the fabric in a vacuum mold. One is called a wet layup,  where the two-part resin is mixed and applied before being laid in the mold and  placed in the bag.
The other is a resin induction system, where the dry fabric and  mold are placed inside the bag while the vacuum pulls the resin through a small tube  into the bag, then through a tube with holes or something similar to evenly spread  the resin throughout the fabric. Wire loom works perfectly for a tube that requires  holes inside the bag. Both of these methods of applying resin require hand work to  spread the resin evenly for a glossy finish with very small pin-holes. A third method  of constructing composite materials is known as a dry layup.
Here, the carbon fiber  material is already impregnated with resin (prepreg) and is applied to the mold in a  similar fashion to adhesive film. The assembly is then placed in a vacuum to cure.  The dry layup method has the least amount of resin waste and can achieve lighter  constructions than wet layup. Also, because larger amounts of resin are more  difficult to bleed out with wet layup methods, prepreg parts generally have fewer  pinholes. Pinhole elimination with minimal resin amounts generally require the use of  autoclave pressures to purge the residual gases out.

The applications about fiberglass

Fiberglass is an immensely versatile material which combines its light weight with an inherent strength to provide a weather resistant finish, with a variety of surface textures.
Fiberglass was developed in the UK during the Second World War as a replacement for the molded plywood used in aircraft radomes (fiberglass being transparent to microwaves). Its first main civilian application was for building of boats, where it gained acceptance in the 1950s. Its use has broadened to the automotive and sport equipment sectors as well as model aircraft, although its use there is now partly being taken over by carbon fiber which weighs less per given volume and is stronger both by volume and by weight. Fiberglass uses also include hot tubs,carbon fiber ,pipes for drinking water and sewers, office plant display containers and flat roof systems.
Advanced manufacturing techniques such as pre-pregs and fiber rovings extend the applications and the tensile strength possible with fiber-reinforced plastics.
Fiberglass is also used in the telecommunications industry for shrouding the visual appearance of antennas,basalt fiber, due to its RF permeability and low signal attenuation properties. It may also be used to shroud the visual appearance of other equipment where no signal permeability is required, such as equipment cabinets and steel support structures, due to the ease with which it can be molded, manufactured and painted to custom designs, to blend in with existing structures or brickwork. Other uses include sheet form made electrical insulators and other structural components commonly found in the power industries.

How to refinish carbon fiber parts

1 Wash the parts to be refinished to remove surface dirt, as the hard silica can leave scratches in the finish.
2 Remove the layer of surface oxidation and heavier scratches with a microfiber cloth and a medium-duty polishing compound, such as Scratch X. Work the polish in with overlapping 8-inch diameter circles. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as it's not difficult to wear thin spots in the clear coat.
3 Wait for the polish to dry, then buff with a clean towel.
4 Polish the surface further with a high-quality product. Using a good polish is very important on carbon fiber, as the dark color, depth of the weave and several coats of clear hide nothing. Work the polish in gently with overlapping circles using a clean towel.
5 Wait for the polish to dry, then buff with a clean towel.
6 Wax using the highest quality product available with---you guessed it, a clean microfiber towel. Avoid using spray-on waxes (remember, the carbon fiber's clear coat hides nothing).
7 Allow 10-15 minutes to dry, away from direct sunlight. Buff with a clean towel. Repeat waxing if desired.

Basalt fiber news

Basalt fiber or fibre is a material made from extremely fine fibers of basalt, which is composed of the minerals plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. It is similar to carbon fiber and fiberglass, having better physicomechanical properties than fiberglass, but being significantly cheaper than carbon fiber. It is used as a fireproof textile in the aerospace and automotive industries and can also be used as a composite to produce products such as camera tripods.
Manufacture
Basalt fiber is made from a single material, crushed basalt, from a carefully chosen quarry source and unlike other materials such as glass fiber, essentially no materials are added. The basalt is simply washed and then sent to be melted down.
The manufacture of basalt fiber requires the melting of the quarried basalt rock at about 1,400 °C (2,550 °F). The molten rock is then extruded through small nozzles to produce continuous filaments of basalt fiber. There are three main manufacturing techniques, which are centrifugal-blowing, centrifugal-multiroll and die-blowing. The fibers typically have a filament diameter of between 9 and 13 which is far enough above the respiratory limit of 5 to make basalt fiber a suitable replacement for asbestos. They also have a high elastic modulus, resulting in excellent specific tenacity—three times that of steel.