I'm new, need some info

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#1

Hello all.

i got my hands on a roll of Hexcel Carbon fibre and i got no idea what to do with it, or what stuff means.

Its T2G carbon tape 190 grams per square meter. Prepreg

I have 1 roll of 12" by 333 feet.

What does 12k or 3k mean?

Whats this stuff worth??

Can i use it for automotive interior and body parts without too much difficulty??

Do i need an autoclave or can i use an old oven?? (NEWBIE)

Where can i get vacuum bags from wo withstand the heat??

Do i need to layer alot??

any help would be very appreciated

cheers

chef

#2

12k and 3k are the size of the bundle of the threads in the tow (warp and weave), A 12K bundle has 12000 threads, 3k 3000, so the 12K has tow 4X the size of a 3k
It is worth what you sell it for, Old prepreg is “worthless” is the aerospace industry and most people don’t want it, so it is worth what ever you can get someone to pay for it. IF it has been out of the freezer very long there may be issues with layup and cure.
you can use it interior panels as long as you plan on makeing molds for them, I don’t think you can overlay with prepreg , but I could be wrong.
You can use on old oven as long as the parts and mold will fit in it
Most (if not all) places that sell vacuum supplies sell stuff that take the heat.
The amount of layers will depend on the strength you want the part to have, If it is simply decorative it will require less layers than a structural piece.

#3

Her is a link to pdf file that has cure directions for that tape.
http://www.hexcel.com/NR/rdonlyres/9F4D773A-44FD-469A-8296-CBA3EFD98419/0/HexPly_F593_us.pdf

Basically you apply vacuum to the part in the mold, place it in the oven and slowly (1-5 hours) ramp the oven up to 350F (1-5degrees per minute), then hold it at 350 for 2 hours, and slowly coll it dowm now faster than 5 degrees preminute (thats no faster than an hour to cool) demold and you are set to go.

#4

Thanks for that. I really appreciate it.

Its not old by the way. And it is being kept in a freezer so it should have some shelft life yet…

I’ll have to decide what to do with it now…

#5

In my Composites classroom, we have been using almost 2 years old Pre-preg (stored in a freezer)with good results for clipboards and tubes.