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Old 10-10-2011, 04:46 PM   #5 (permalink)
370Ztune
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Carbon fiber or Carbon-Kevlar can end up weighing more than stock in some cases.

The lightest carbon fiber parts are made in autoclave and referred to as "dry carbon." "Dry carbon" is what has always been known as "pre-preg" (pre-impregnated). When you receive pre-preg, it is a carbon fiber cloth pre-impregnated with frozen resin; it looks similar to a roll of cardboard somewhat in consistency and workability. So it is "dry" until you put it in a vacuum bag, pressurize it and heat it up. When you do this, the frozen resin will flow into the mold and then cure to make the parts.

"Wet carbon" is anything other than pre-preg. Wet carbon starts life as a sheet of carbon fiber fabric laid into a mold (much like fiberglass), then the liquid resin is injected into the mold (this is where the "wet" comes from). The process following this step is much the same as dry carbon, minus the heating step. However, often these types of construction feature a fiberglass backing for added rigidity, which comes at a weight penalty.
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