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Old 02-19-2018, 08:15 PM   #20 (permalink)
freebeard
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Quote:
One thing anoys me. The carbon fiber shappingg made in home, like we see in youtube videos, do not use autoclaves, and many carbon fiber sheets looks very crap, not even solid. I presume that withouty a autoclave it's impossible to create really resistant carbon fiber like in formula one cars.
I find this the earliest, clearest statement of your question.

To my understanding (YMMV), the hurdle for mass production isn't cost so much as speed (and possibly yield rate). And the lack of high-speed production is down to the vacuum-bagged autoclaving. It's purpose is to minimize the amount of binder — epoxy or whatever — in ratio to the fibers, to maximize strength (toughness, whatever) for weight.

On to the larger question, the future of carbon fiber. That would be in 3D printing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strati_%28automobile%29

OTOH it's future will include competition:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt_fiber
Quote:
Basalt fiber is a material made from extremely fine fibers of basalt, which is composed of the minerals plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. It is similar to 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.
Read it and weep.
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