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I personally think that carbon fibre is highly overrated. I know of a few good applications, but apart from that you can just as well use more normal material without a significant loss of performance.

Advanced composites really do offer performance and durability advantages. But since they are so strong in terms of UTS, Young's modulus and the like, it's tempting for designers to use half as much material saving half the weight at 'equivalent' strength, theoretically, anyway. The downside is, among other things, that such structures lack damage tolerance, which is something very important in a boat which will get wet. Trimming 'only' 25% of the weight is furthermore less attactive than trimming 50% of the weight; especially when the latter costs more than the former, both options being much more costly than conventional composite.

It's all about the cost. Carbon is manuactured in two competing processes, pitch and PAN- both of which are costly and expensive and will not likely get cheaper and easier any time soon. Carbon prices are now as low now as they have ever been in real dollars; certainly a lot cheaper than the dark days of the eighties when the aerospace industry essentially contracted for the world's entire output of carbon fiber for about a decade. The simplest 4oz twill cloth cost more than $50/yard back then. The trouble is, that same scenario could happen again as civillian aerospace is using unprecedented amounts. Both Boeing and Airbus have major oders now for their latest planes; we'll just have to see what happens.

I think the future lies with basalt fiber technology. Basalt is volcanic rock. It can be melted and extruded into fibers in a process much like conventional 'e' glass. The thing is, basalt fiber has about 80% of the performance(UTS, modulus) of regular carbon fiber (or just better than s-2 glass), but at a cost only a little higher than e glass; way les than s-2 glass, let alone carbon.

http://www.plasticstechnology.com/articles/200406cu2.html

The world output of this little known fiber is still tiny compared to other reinforcements. But as more production come on line, I can't help but wonder how boats will again be transformed the way they were when the industry switched from wood.

http://www.globalcomposites.com/news/news_fiche.asp?id=212&

Stay Tuned...

Jimbo