Carbon Fiber - 5 things you (probably) didn’t know

Before we started building the DarkAero 1, we had to learn a lot about carbon fiber. I want to share with you some important information about this material that will give you a better understanding of it, especially if you want to engineer a part made from carbon fiber.

This video covers 5 important things you need to know about carbon fiber.

1) Not all carbon fiber is created equal
- Carbon fiber is made up of small filaments. There are different "types" of filaments of different degrees of strength and stiffness. Additionally, there are different grades of cloth which determine the number of defects in your cloth weave. It’s important to understand what “type” and grade is right for your project.

2) Resin is the unsung hero
- It's easy to focus on the carbon fiber alone. However, you need to pay equal attention to the resin used. The resin allows carbon fiber parts to hold their shape and transfer load from one fiber to the next.

3) Carbon fiber is coated with a secret sauce
- Carbon fiber manufacturers will add a coupling agent (aka "sizing" or "finish") to filaments. This coating helps the resin bind to the carbon fiber. Without the coupling agent or proper coupling agent, the strength of your parts can be reduced.

4) Process drives properties
- The process (wet layup, prepreg, infusion, etc.) you select will ultimately partially determine the properties of your part. Process drives fiber to resin ratio and part defects. Understand which process makes most sense for the goals of your carbon fiber part(s).

5) Test or be tested
- Because there are so many variables that go into carbon fiber, there aren’t good sources of published material properties available to use for design. This means you need to perform testing to verify your parts meet the desired requirements.

Intro - 00:00
Not All Carbon Fiber Is Created Equal - 00:37
Resin is the Unsung Hero - 03:10
Carbon Fiber is Coated with a Secret Sauce - 05:15
Process Determines Properties - 06:24
Test or be Tested - 08:10
Outro - 09:43

Read more this subject here:

DarkAero Composites Manufacturing Overview

Recommended Literature

DarkAero Composites Consulting

Other DarkAero Composite Videos You May Like

If you enjoyed this video and would like to see more of this type of content, follow along as we work to create the fastest, longest range aircraft you can build in your garage!

More information on DarkAero can be found on our website and other social media accounts:

[DarkAeroInc]

What are other interesting facts you have learned about carbon fiber? What aspects of carbon fiber would you like to learn more about?

[truth]

I am full time in carbon Fiber manufacturing. Gayford Carbon Fiber Strad Violins. This is without a doubt one of the best intro's to carbon fiber videos I have seen. I can tell you have a mastery of the properties. Well done! I will start following your aircraft build as I have a Carbon fiber aircraft. A SkyArrow. PS I see you have two thumbs down, obviously some who think Carbon Fiber is spelled "Carbon Fibre" LOL

[NeilStainton]

I’ve just found your channel. I can’t believe how incredibly professional and thorough your work is. And I am even more impressed by your generosity in creating these professional videos and sharing your knowledge with the world.

[krperry]

Your methodical detailed design approach is admirable and impressive. Shows you have determination and patience required.

[imbok]

THANK YOU for stating what I've learned from years of composites experience - Test, test, and more testing!! The only way to verify results is to mechanically test EVERYTHING. Great overall presentation and thanks for mentioning fiber/resin compatibility as well - a hidden key to composites success or failure. If you've done coupon level testing on any of your laminates, I'd be very interested to know the mechanical properties you've been able to achieve.

[thienlieu]

Sorry I can't even pay attention to what you're saying, that profile view of DarkAero 1 looks good at 13 seconds in and I can't get it out of my head

[jdanon]

Great stuff guys... As to other CF related content: I'd love to see the full infusion process for one of the more complex parts, all the technicals i.e. how-to in terms of vacuum specs, resin flow and saturation, baking, finishes/UV sealing or what have you. Alternatively, or rather additionally, I'd really like to see how you guys bond different parts together, for example the bulkheads and the airframe (and maybe how you bond your sandwich panels in the first place)? I'm also curios about the motor mounts or the fuel tank install, basically how you bond CF and metals.

[ExarchGaming]

Thank you, this is amazing information. I just saw a custom carbonfiber lid made for a laptop, and the people saying that carbon fiber is cheap and parts are easily made for a 100 dollars, made my jaw drop, because it's not that easy... not all carbon fiber is equal, this video will help me teach a few people about it.

[SaltySRT]

YES! Its like the engineering explained version that focuses just on carbon fiber and how to actually make stuff!

[olivierbriand]

One comment about your carbon fiber spinner bulkhead . Make sure that you are using either a high tg ( some can reach 240 degrees C, resoltech ht240) resin, or use high temp prepreg. Otherwise in any direct drive engine front of the crankshaft gets hot, and prop bolts will get loose. That happened many times....

[AnthonySaccoM]

Thanks for dipping into the weeds on the process and philosophy of carbon construction.

[paulsutton]

In the 1950s the new wonder material was glass fibre. Lotus and Reliant made complete car bodies out of it.
There were two adverse features of glass fibre.
1) the surface was prone to "crazing" under stress.
2) the uncured resin was horrible stuff to come into contact with.
Is this also the case with carbon fibre?

[lorenzocano]

If every teacher would be as good and clear as you guys, lerning would be joyfull!!!

[bicyclist]

This was very interesting and informative. I've been riding a carbon fiber bike for the last 15 years. Thank you.

[hclchgm]

This is a nearly perfect introduction to the technical details of carbon fiber parts components creation. Please do write a full book on this.

[davidwatts]

Superb Video with Great Technical information that we have used in our Orthopaedic Laminating Procedures for our Patients, please keep putting them on Youtube so we can get the very best Prosthetic Builds for our Customers.

[Qpint]

Please look up the late Paul Lipps and his Elippse Propeller, the propeller once raced at Reno. I flew with Paul once in his Lancair, he said his propeller was 90%+ efficient. Judging by the lack of noise, he was probably right. He was an engineer. I am an engineer and A&P. His air cooling ducting was very efficient as well. His old Reg was N8PL. Best-

[thomaswood]

Well you could have touched on The orientation of the weaves of the material when you lay into the mould for the strength and flexibly of the parts.

[numninja]

Thank you for actually mentioning the more important factors vs the marketing nomenclature regurgitation most channels spit out.

[aaronmarshall]

A nice survey of carbon fiber composites. A video on how you meet part 23 certification requirements with regard to structural capability would be really informative, and specifically on the role of analysis in the certification. Nice work!