Hey, I’m working on making a carbon fiber panel using epoxy resin. I’ve applied 2 layers of Textreme carbon fiber with epoxy a week ago. The resin is not sticky but the composite is soft. Can anyone suggest how to harden the composite?
Thanks,
Aditya
Sorry, start over.two layers of carbon should be stiff and springy. Soft like you can dig a finger nail in it? Bad epoxy or bad mix. Soft like floppy? Then not real carbon fiber… I don’t know what textreme is. Is it a blend of carbon and fiberglass?
Maybe you can heat cure it and see. I don’t know the right temps, but 130 degrees F sounds about right. You may have too much resin in the resin to fiber ratio. Should be about 1 to 1 (using weight) for the strongest panel.
The panel is soft…It’s not retaining its shape if i try to release it from my mould…
I’ll try again with another batch as you suggest… Thanks anyway. Also could you suggest good manuals or handbooks to brush up different fabrication processes?
Provided the temp is not too cold,
If it is not rock hard the next day,
it is miss-mixed.
Mix ratio for epoxy is very important.
Most epoxies are 2/1 mix.
2 parts resin to 1 part hardener.
Post curing at 150 degrees is common in most industries when using epoxy resins.
I post-cure all my boards glassed with epoxy for at least 1 hour in my heat box.
By the way, most carbon fiber cloths are better suited for vacuum laminating.
Hand lams do not saturate 100%.