VACUUM BAGGING CARBON FIBER WITH EPOXY RESIN .wmv

[matthieutje65]

great video! but some remarks... instead of pulling vacuum from 2 sides for your bowl, you could draw a vacuum around your mould with spiraltube laying around your part and connected to the vacuumhose. Second remark is; why would you make such a thick piece of fiberglass?...offcourse it will be strong making such thick parts... third remark is that a 35/65 resin to fiber ratio is quite optimistic... should more be like a 50/50 ratio...

[PolymerProductsPCI]

Thanks and great question!

These are not a rigid rules of fabrication, you can use whatever technique works best based on your application. The important thing to remember are the principles. Air-voids must be excluded from the composite matrix to attain syngestic performance and vacuum pressure works best. It also applies constant consolidating vacuum pressure (14.7 psi at 29.5 in of Hg) to the fiber resin matrix while it cures.

[PolymerProductsPCI]

It will evacuate air porosity and pressurize the laminate to equalize resin distribution. Fabric to resin ratio, some composite matrix benefits a higher resin content (again, based on application). Logic dictates a more stable material such the glass or carbon fiber should have a higher content value in a composite matrix.

[PolymerProductsPCI]

Under controlled test, propagation of failure always begins at the resin to resin interface or resin to air bubble interface than the resin to fiber interface; weight to strength ratio will also improve...less resin, less weight. Thanks again for the question.

Regards,

Gerald

[tgkg]

So if you wanna make a carbon fiber box, will this method work?

[PolymerProductsPCI]

@tgkg Yes you can if your mold can wtthstand 14 psi of vacuum pressure vacuum bagging is always the procees to use. I have numerous composite boxes using 1/4 inch thick carbon fiber panels for a battery impact-proof box for racing cars and they where made using the same process. The trick is to make it without sharp edges...always with a 1/4 bull-nose for higher impact resistant performance and always watch for your fabric to resin mass ratio, 35% resin content works the best.