composite where the matrx and fiber are the same material

[HDS]

I came across this article on AZOM.com

http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=497

It talks about a composite that is made by compacting polymer fibers together. The solid maintains the highly oriented properties of the fiber. The numbers they claim are good. Does anyone know of some suppliers for this type of material in the U.S. What are some other names for it? Also does anyone have experience with this?

 

[swertel]

I just briefly viewed that website, and sorry to say, I am not too familiar with it.

A potential lead for you is automotive brake manufacturers. Some brakes are now made with a carbon/carbon composite. I don't know the technique to make them to know if it is the same as your link above, but searching for those brakes may lead to the sources you are looking for.

 

[GJS]

I dont think the carbon/carbon composites used in high performance breaks are the same thing. One of the processes by which the C/C are made is to make a carbon/polymer laminate as 'normal' with the required layup, then heat the whole lot up in controlled conditions to carbonise the polymer. (Thats a GROSS simplication of the process, but gets across the idea!) There have been other threads which have discussed the process a little more.

I think this is different to what the azom article is talking about, where the fibres bond together under compaction, mainatinign alignment, butwithout a matrix as such

Hope this helps

GJS

 

[HDS]

I agree this material is very different than a Carbon/Carbon or sintered carbon composites. These guys have consolidated fibers into a solid and mantained the long polymer chains and orintations. I have also heard it called liearly stranded Polypropelene but have not found out much about that either.