Carbon fiber, how the wool was pulled off our eyes.

[Young Roids]

Carbon fiber, the material that makes expensive hoods that don't line up right. We all thought this stuf was all about the weave patern with the typical two color black and darkgrey scheme. Well now it comes to light that carbon doesn't have to be woven at all and is probably more effective when it is not. From this point onward we are going to start to see the dropping of the obligitory "fiber" after carbon. From now on things will start moving into the carbon side of things. Check out this bicycle fork for an image of what I am talking about, what you see before you is a carbon fork minus the once obligitory weave pattern on the surface.

 

[Young Roids]

Here is an example of a part that is using both the weave pattern carbon and non weave pattern carbon for a good comparison and contrast. This is a bicycle seatpost and that top piece you see the is solid carbon. While the post portion keeps the traditional surface weave pattern we have become acustomed to.

 

[eg6motion]

eh? Carbon fiber doesn't mean WOVEN carbon fiber. It has always existed in those forms.

 

[judman13]

I do believe that it has been proven that the weaving makes it many many times stronger than just a solid sheet.


but this is going to as fun as the solar system one!!!

 

[Young Roids]

eh? Carbon fiber doesn't mean WOVEN carbon fiber. It has always existed in those forms.

Correct. But to the mass public people might not have known about that hence my post.

 

[Young Roids]

I do believe that it has been proven that the weaving makes it many many times stronger than just a solid sheet.

Source?

 

[eg6motion]

Source?

physics teacher... basically any substance becomes stronger when woven.

 

[MP3Performance]

physics teacher... basically any substance becomes stronger when woven.

Very basic explanation but true. Take any material engineering course and you will find out the actual physics of why this is (involves many differential equation and integrals...fun stuff (unamused)). It is the same reason steel cables on bridges and cranes are braided or spun into groups, which makes them stronger then just a solid cylinder of steel or straight wires. Having straight carbon, like in your pics, makes it much easier to mold into the shape and curve required in such small pieces of equipment. Even nano-tubes (which I think will eventually become the "carbon-fiber" of the future) have a pattern to them under a microscope which helps in giving them there amazing strength to weight ratio.

 

[imac]

Even nano-tubes (which I think will eventually become the "carbon-fiber" of the future) have a pattern to them under a microscope which helps in giving them there amazing strength to weight ratio.

i took material science 2 years ago and though we didnt go into it in detail in class, there was a big section in our book regarding carbon nanotubes. i thought they were pretty cool, but i think it'll be a while before they're less than ludicrously expensive to produce like they are now. i wouldnt be surprised if some other composite gets discovered between now and when nanotubes are a legit contender for general applications.

 

[Young Roids]

From my information I am getting it seems that the "weave layer" is just a thin top layer and is more for show than anything.

 

[Young Roids]

It's my guess we are going to trend twords the non weave carbon from now on.

 

[judman13]

In alot of cases yes a carbon fiber weave is laid over a fiberglass mold or something of the sort, but when it is used in real applications the sheets of carbon fiber weave are layers one upon each other to create a very thick stack on the weaved layers producing many many cross patterns giving much more strength.

 

[Young Roids]

i took material science 2 years ago and though we didnt go into it in detail in class, there was a big section in our book regarding carbon nanotubes. i thought they were pretty cool, but i think it'll be a while before they're less than ludicrously expensive to produce like they are now. i wouldnt be surprised if some other composite gets discovered between now and when nanotubes are a legit contender for general applications.

Are you speaking of this sort of thing?

 

[imac]

Are you speaking of this sort of thing?

no, nanotubes are on a lot smaller scale, nothing you can see in the structure of something made from carbon. these things are the diameter of a strand of hair, probably even smaller.

that frame does look pretty cool like that tho, i have to admit.

 

[judman13]

Enjoy =)

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/v...he-atomic-structure-of-a-carbon-fiber-160131/

 

[drledford93]

From my information I am getting it seems that the "weave layer" is just a thin top layer and is more for show than anything.

No, when making tubs for F1 cars back at least a few years ago, the CF sheets were placed on top of each other in opposing directions to strengthen the integrity of the piece in all directions. (The strength of the fiber lies in parallel to the fiber, not perpendicular.) Thus, the weave is not just for show, but is all the way through the piece. It is made up of multiple layers to increase strength in all directions.

Daniel

 

[ms6acton]

off topic what kind of fork is that?

 

[essejkcamraw]

Are you speaking of this sort of thing?

its all in how it looks man, i've been in and around BMX. mountain bikes and roadbikes pretty much all my life. and theyve been using molded carbonfiber method for forever and a day now, used to be aluminum wrapped in carbon but, do you really think anyones going to buy a carbonfiber hood that looks like s***? just some black hood? no, they want the woven look. carbon looks like s*** to me on a car. and woven fiber IS stronger... other wise they wouldn't be selling it and making it for mountain bikes road bikes and BMX bikes.. and that frame you pictured above never made it to production, they made that frame to show what can be done with carbon fiber. (thank good)

 

[Tyrdstorm]

Unicorns are made out of carbon.

 

[mortimersnerd]

JoeMama, exactly how much time did it take you to find all those unicorn pics? Bored much?