Composites testing

We've been carrying out a range of tests to try and discover suitable fabrics for low cost composites. The fabric needs to be:

We've carried out a few rounds of testing which are documented at the links shown below.

Round 1

Link to results

In this round of testing we experimented with various epoxies including:

We tried out different application techniques and tools including:

We also experimented with different fibers:

Round 2

Link to results

In this round of testing we tested a a range of fabrics using the same layup technique. We tested the following fabrics:

Round 3

Link to results

In this round of testing we continued to test a range of fabrics using Super Sap epoxy and vacuum bagging with bleeder and breather. The materials that were tested included:

Round 4

Link to results

In this round of testing we moved forward with the cotton canvas given its lower uptake of epoxy and good availability in a range of weights. We tested the following weights of Duck Canvas