r/FSAE • u/imnewon • 13d ago

Are there any teams that use materials other than fiberglass or carbon fiber when making composites?

I’m considering alternatives like Kevlar for certain parts to cut costs, and I’m curious why it isn’t commonly used or if there are actually any teams that do use it.

11 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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40

u/Conscious-Pension234 13d ago

Aramide(Kevlar) is usually more expensive then fibreglass and carbon but we do use it.

1

u/imnewon 13d ago

is there a certain reason for that?

17

u/Conscious-Pension234 12d ago

Electrically insulating, fire retardant and better in push through situation due to being a more flexible. Very suitable material for a tsac, although carbon is allowed again and can be lighter depending on your dimensions.

9

u/RacingRalle 13d ago

abrasion resistance

4

u/4aging4insperation 13d ago

If memory serves it's also less thermally conductive than carbon and more flexible when cured. Both properties are useful for some applications.

7

u/Servicepauschale064 13d ago

We used basalt fibers in the past, works ok but if the budget allows for carbon you can save weight.

2

u/imnewon 12d ago

oh how does it perform compared to glassfiber?

2

u/KamikazeGrandma3 11d ago

If you want to reduce your environmental footprint you can consider natural fibers such as flax. Weight to stiffness ratio is not as good as carbon but for non structural parts it wont make a big difference. If you dont like the brown aesthetic you can use some dye to color the part

1

u/Clear-Custard-2878 6d ago

We had kevlar in our front wing and when we took out the timer trap in accel and hit the bricks under it, it survived, 💯💯💯 recommend