Carbon Fiber or Fiberglass rope/ribbon?

[geneiusxie]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if it is possible to use raw carbon fiber or fiberglass fibers without any sort of binder or adhesive epoxy in a rope or an unidirectional ribbon as long as the load is uniform, predictable, and in one direction. I think it would be less vulnerable to crack propagation than reinforced stuff because cracks normally have to travel from fiber to fiber along a stiff binding material. Weight would also be somewhat less because there's no adhesive.

Also, would air bubbles in a conventional fiber reinforced structure negatively affect it's tensile strength? Or do air bubbles bad for other reasons, like compressive strength or crack propagation? Thanks,

-Gene

 

[Enthalpy]

Rope strength improves with a matrix but this loses flexibility, that's the reason it isn't done regularly. Available from Cousin: they put parallel impregnated fibres, plait more fibres around it as a protection AND to eject the excess polymer from the center, wipe exsuded polymer, and cure. At D=2mm it can still be wound on a big roll.

Air bubbles are bad.