Avalon Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Hello. I was wondering if Paraloid B72 ethanol solution can be used to make strong carbon fiber composites? Paraloid B72 is an durable and non-yellowing acrylic polymer that can be redissolved later that's why it's in conservation/restoration of various cultural heritage objects. Another material I was wondering if could be used in carbon fiber composites making is UV cure resin? https://www.ebay.com/itm/184533830604?hash=item2af712cbcc:g:85QAAOSwm1NfrjPB&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwPHKlcLG7StKomvnaM7T%2BWhK1vqBRUYf8h5bDR75DirTpg0kgcDMu3kaL222OTEBR83ETSCqP%2F3IPqHQ0YRITzwE7yZXXyvxbB0VJd7uy9rbfVN61tuisXU0RTOf3t6AYVr3V7UgWDDFiyYbl2gxGs808tYadzB9I5UA%2FAmruuYQMPOWpw5s7OJU07bpXfddeMnjf7HAQT7FVtyMkXBaOcLq312IIdaZd%2BOPk6vAgXGshDmRsT4WmdUA50Hyf49dyQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR-LL94iXYg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kimball Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Welcome to the forum. After a bit of research on Paraloid B72, It is a toughened thermoplastic acrylic used in inks. This implies that it is flexible and may not be great for structure if you need it. It's not clear how it work in thicknesses used in laminating and how flexible/brittle it becomes. The UV cure acrylics are great to work with as they can be cured in minutes with great cosmetic results, and seem to be pretty tough, but they are not as structural as epoxy. So if structure isn't necessary, it may be ok to use. The UV cure resins are cheap to experiment with. You should give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avalon Posted June 14, 2023 Author Share Posted June 14, 2023 I have polyester resin but it has terrible smell an probably toxic fumes, as well it cures very fast. How good it is structurally when compared to cheaper epoxy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kimball Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 59 minutes ago, Avalon said: I have polyester resin but it has terrible smell an probably toxic fumes, as well it cures very fast. How good it is structurally when compared to cheaper epoxy? There are many reasons why you wouldn't want to use polyester with carbon fiber, and odor and fumes are some very good reasons. Strength, compatibility, and durability are some others. Most fabrics have a sizing or starch material on them that helps in the weaving process. They use specific sizing for different resins. It is expected that carbon fiber will use epoxy, so in some cases the polyester resin will not breakdown the sizing on the fabric. However, recent advances has made it possible to have universal sizing, but these seem to be mainly used in fiberglass materials. You'll always be better of using a cheap laminating epoxy over polyester. We do have a good selection at Rock West. Different viscosities and cure times. https://www.rockwestcomposites.com/shop/materials-tools/resins-adhesives/resin-systems/pro-set-resins/laminating-epoxies All are room temp cure, and some can benefit from elevated post cure for better mechanical properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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