Kevlar vs Aluminum vs Steel vs Marlex fuel cell box
12-17-2006, 09:44 AM
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Kevlar vs Aluminum vs Steel vs Marlex fuel cell box
How would the strength of a fuel cell box differ if it were made with Kevlar vs Aluminum vs Steel vs Marlex? What would be the thickness of each material need to be in order to make it safe for use? Has or can Kevlar be used for a fuel cell box?
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12-17-2006, 11:16 AM
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Hey Tim;
Kevlar has very little strength - in terms of bending or torsional stiffness - on its own. It's game is TOUGHNESS. It is most often combined with carbon fibre because their properties are just about diametrically opposed to eachother. CF has tremendous stiffness and strength, but is very poor in toughness.
As a for-instance, in composite race tubs, you often find kevlar added to stress points and areas that are designed to absorb energy. If these areas were simply made of CF, they would resist failure to a high degree, but when that ability to resist was exceeded, they would fail catastrophically. With some Kevlar mixed in, the area retains a far higher resilience, and thus will stick around to do its job longer.
So, to the point, Kevlar would make a good material for a "can" in that it would offer good puncture and tear resistance, but only if it were combined with some other substance. Either a layer of CF, or even fibre or "E" glas would probably work as well.
Some aluminum alloys offer toughness, but are usually not very strong. Steel is the champion of strength and toughness in one package. It's only "drawback" is weight. Still, you will find most cells "canned" with steel because it does the job (protecting the bladder) very well. Not fancy, but effective.
Kevlar has very little strength - in terms of bending or torsional stiffness - on its own. It's game is TOUGHNESS. It is most often combined with carbon fibre because their properties are just about diametrically opposed to eachother. CF has tremendous stiffness and strength, but is very poor in toughness.
As a for-instance, in composite race tubs, you often find kevlar added to stress points and areas that are designed to absorb energy. If these areas were simply made of CF, they would resist failure to a high degree, but when that ability to resist was exceeded, they would fail catastrophically. With some Kevlar mixed in, the area retains a far higher resilience, and thus will stick around to do its job longer.
So, to the point, Kevlar would make a good material for a "can" in that it would offer good puncture and tear resistance, but only if it were combined with some other substance. Either a layer of CF, or even fibre or "E" glas would probably work as well.
Some aluminum alloys offer toughness, but are usually not very strong. Steel is the champion of strength and toughness in one package. It's only "drawback" is weight. Still, you will find most cells "canned" with steel because it does the job (protecting the bladder) very well. Not fancy, but effective.
