Carbon reinforced thermoplastic

The stuff I'm thinking about is a mat cloth made from thermoplastic and carbon fibers. It's put into mold and then heated, like working with prepreg. The thermoplastic fibers melt, forming a wonderful matrix for the carbon. The result is one of the toughest materials ever -- like roto-molded kayak, but with the strength and light weight of an epoxy-carbon layup.

Is anyone here familiar with this stuff? Is it still available? I've seen it used in race car bodies, and mountain bike frames made by GT. I've lost track of people I knew in both places. I'm interested in building a virtually indestructible, 40 LB dinghy out of it.

Matt O.

 

Matt,

If you would settle for glass reinforced thermoplastic, we can help you. To be honest on the size and laminate thickness you would be talking about I don't think you are going to gain much going to carbon, you can get the stiffness you need with a thermoplastic/glass sandwich contruction.

Contact me on gareth at fourhulls.com

All the best

Gareth Roberts
Warob Marine
www.fourhulls.com

 

I think what you might be talking about is called "Twintex" (??) which was a thermoplastic fiber/glass fiber fabric (I don't remember if it was available with carbon). If you're interested in thermoplastic/carbon prepreg, there's company called Phoenixx TPC Inc. up in New England that supplies uni tapes. Hope this helps.

 

Twintex looks interesting. Similar to prepreg except that the resin is polypropylene. Some boats are using it and evidently the big advantage over GRP is impact resistance.

Other than the construction process (form, oven), what are the disadvantages?

http://www.ocvreinforcements.com/Pages/Physical_Properties_for_FEA_Modeling.asp

 

Jonny,

polypropylen is not a resin Its a thermoplast! And what is similar to prepreg? Yes, nothing.

When will you start to learn something about boatbuilding before posting ********? Never?
Is your sandbox closed? What are you doing here?

And did you notice that you replied on a 5 years old thread?

 

Hey Apex1, you know I am never one to stir the hornet's nest, but you are in a five year old thread too

 

Thought when I came here it was a recent?

 

Couldn't resist yanking your chain

 

Twintex is still being used. Yes, it has polypropylene as a MATRIX (better, Richard?) and I see it used in high-impact resistance objects, mainly kayaks and paddle blades.

Another product, but probably too high-tech for boats, is supplied by Ten Cate in Nijverdal, Netherlands, which is carbon fabric with nylon as a matrix (Oh no, another thermoplastic!!!). Melting point somewhere around 230-250 degrees C.

And a third option: Infusion Caprolactam RESIN into a laminate. The Caprolactam cures into..... nylon

I have never seen it being used in anything large, though.

 

Can you use those materials with open molds or do you need male and female?

 

Twintex I have seen used in open moulds. You need high temp resistance vacuum bagging material, as you need to reach 180 degrees C, but that is not too much of a problem. Your mould needs to survive 180 degrees C as well, and that is a challenge.

The Ten Cate stuff I only have seen in double press moulds, but that is probably dictated by the output they need (tens of products per day). I do not feel that there is much difference in respect to Twintex. (although you need some 250 degrees C, so you need even higher temp vacuum materials)

I do not have info on the caprolactam option, but I do understand it is still in development.

 

Thanks for the info Herman!