Old ProBoat article on vinylester with carbon fiber?

[dolcott]

I'm looking for information on the compatibility of using vinylester resin with carbonfiber.

I vaguely remember an article in the early 2000s discussing some racing sailboat hull failures in the early 1990s. As I remember it, a British prepreg manufacturer eventually figured out that the sizing (surface treatment) on the carbon fibers at the time were incompatible with vinylester resin and only adhered to epoxy.

Can anyone recall the old issue of ProBoat (which to my wife's dismay, I likely still have!) or have a link to the article?

Does anyone know if carbon fiber is now commonly available with sizing compatible with vinylester?

The application would be stiffeners in a boat deck, so the majority of the construction is fiberglass and vinylester.

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[ondarvr]

It's fairly common to use Carbon with VE resin, but the physical properties of VE aren't good enough to take advantage of everything carbon can do, this includes bonding to the fibers, although that has been improved.

Most of the VE and carbon parts are for cosmetic applications where the physical properties are good, but the objective is to make the carbon visible for the "look" of it.