Royal Cremation Urns | About Carbon Fiber

About Carbon Fiber

In terms of weight-to-strength ratio, carbon fiber composite is currently the best material that our civilization can produce in appreciable quantities – a space age material indeed. Carbon fibers are chemically “grown” on smaller frames with a high surface area, designed to bond to deposited carbon atoms.

Carbon fiber is the common name used to refer to a graphite fiber; frequently, the term is used to describe the textile itself, but the textile is not of much use unless embedded in epoxy plastic resin. Carbon fiber is known alternatively as carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
The large amount of manual work required to manufacture composites has hitherto limited their use in applications where a number of complicated parts is required. The process in which most carbon fiber reinforced plastic is made varies, depending on the piece being created, the finish (outside gloss) required, and how many of this particular piece are going to be produced. A quick method uses a compression mold. This is a two-piece (male and female) mold usually made out of fiberglass or aluminum that is bolted together with the carbon fiber fabric and resin between the two. The benefit is that, once it is bolted together, it is relatively clean and can be moved around or stored until after curing. However, the molds require a substantial thickness of material to hold together through many uses under that pressure.

Materials produced with the above-mentioned methodology are often generically referred to as composites. The choice of matrix can have a profound effect on the properties of the finished composite. One common plastic for this application is epoxy resin. One way of producing graphite epoxy parts is by layering sheets of carbon fiber cloth into a mold, in the shape of the final product. The alignment and weave of the cloth fibers is carefully selected to optimize the strength and stiffness properties of the resulting material. In demanding applications, all air is evacuated from the mold, but in applications where cost is more important than structural rigidity, this step is skipped. The mold is then filled with epoxy and is heated or air cured. The resulting stiff panel will not corrode in water and is very strong, especially for its weight. If the mold contains air, small air bubbles will be present in the material, reducing strength; therefore the molds are placed on vibrating tables to force out the air bubbles. Most composite parts are manufactured by draping cloth over a mold, with epoxy either pre-impregnated into the fibers, or "painted" over it. Hobby or cosmetic parts are often made this way, as are high performance aerospace parts.

Depending on the orientation of the fiber, the carbon fiber composite can be stronger in a certain direction or equally strong in all directions. A small piece can withstand an impact of many tons and still deform minimally. The complex interwoven nature of the fiber makes it very difficult to break.

Carbon fiber is a super strong material that's also extremely lightweight. Engineers and designers love it because it's ten times as strong as steel, two times as stiff, yet weighs about two-thirds less. Carbon fiber is basically very thin strands of carbon -- even thinner than human hair. Carbon fiber has less tensile strength than kevlar but a higher tensile strength than fibreglass. Fibreglass is stiffer than carbon fiber which is in turn stiffer than kevlar fabric. However carbon fiber costs more than either kevlar or fibreglass.

Comparison of Carbon Fiber and Steel
Material	Tensile Strength	Tensile Modulus	Density	Specific Strength
Carbon Fiber	3.5	230.0	1.75	2.00
High Tensile Steel	1.3	210.0	7.87	0.17

Cost Considerations

Carbon fiber is very expensive, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio. Attempts to put it into mass production have so far failed due to the customized nature of most carbon fiber parts, and a shortage of skilled craftsmen. The high cost of carbon fiber is mitigated by the material's unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio, and low weight is essential for high-performance products. Manufacturers have developed omni-directional carbon fiber weaves that apply strength in all directions. This type of carbon fiber assembly is most widely used in the "safety cell" monocoque chassis assembly of high-performance racecars. An important usage concern involves the material's entire lifecycle as carbon fiber reinforced plastics have an almost infinite lifetime.

The market price of carbon fiber reinforced plastic saw a 150% increase during the past several years, primarily due to increased use in the civil aerospace industry. Allocation and contracts to Boeing Commercial Airplanes ‘787’ and Airbus ‘A350 and A380' caused supply constraints, and suppliers to raise prices to suit. As the aerospace companies were locked-in with long-term contracts, users of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in other applications have suffered the brunt of the price hike.

Carbon fiber is also used on racing yachts, rowing shells, kayaks and canoes, as well as on the paddles and oars used with them. Its use has allowed boat builders to produce stiffer and lighter boats. Carbon fiber has replaced more traditional laminated wooden or fiberglass constructions. As well as these water sports, carbon fiber is also used in the construction of water skis. This class of materials is used in aircraft parts, high-performance vehicles, sports equipment such as racing bikes, radio controlled vehicles, wind generator blades and gears and other demanding mechanical applications. Some string instruments, such as guitars and members of the violin family are being fabricated of carbon fiber reinforced composite.Carbon fiber is very expensive, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio. Attempts to put it into mass production have so far failed due to the customized nature of most carbon fiber parts, and a shortage of skilled craftsmen. The high cost of carbon fiber is mitigated by the material's unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio, and low weight is essential for high-performance products. Manufacturers have developed omni-directional carbon fiber weaves that apply strength in all directions. This type of carbon fiber assembly is most widely used in the "safety cell" monocoque chassis assembly of high-performance racecars. An important usage concern involves the material's entire lifecycle as carbon fiber reinforced plastics have an almost infinite lifetime.
The market price of carbon fiber reinforced plastic saw a 150% increase during the past several years, primarily due to increased use in the civil aerospace industry. Allocation and contracts to Boeing Commercial Airplanes ‘787’ and Airbus ‘A350 and A380' caused supply constraints, and suppliers to raise prices to suit. As the aerospace companies were locked-in with long-term contracts, users of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in other applications have suffered the brunt of the price hike.

Product

The Royal carbon fiber urn is hand fabricated using compression molds to produce the body of the urn. Carbon fiber textile is laid up in the mold, and a measured two part epoxy resin is poured over the fiber into the mold. The compression mold components are bolted together and placed on a vibrating table to allow the resin to be evenly distributed throughout the mold.

The urn components are removed from the mold and placed into a jig and assembled. The urn is finished and buffed as required to ensure a smooth base upon which the photograph and the obituary may be mounted. The urn is then completed with 3 to 5 coats of acrylic clear coat, resulting in a jewel like black finish. Based upon client request, the urn may be presented with a “translucent color” spray paint which will permit the beauty of the carbon fiber to show through the color coat. Current standard colors are emerald, ruby and sapphire.

Carbon fiber urns are extremely strong as carbon fiber has ten times the tensile strength of steel, resists mould and mildew, will not rot, corrode or decompose, and will not shatter if dropped. The urn is impervious to weather, ultraviolet light or X-rays. The urn is also waterproof if the access entrance is permanently sealed using ABS cement.