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kickthedonkey
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Hi guys,
I´m building a Gastank for my RSV and i realy want to put some Kevlar on the sides to protect everything. By chance I got a bullet proof vest from the german army. Do you guys know it I can just laminat this kevlar? Do i have to treat it so it realy sokes up the epoxy? Please dont answer if you only think you realy know.
Thanks!
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Matthieu Libeert
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I think by saying "please dont answer if you only think you realy know" you will not get a lot of feedback  I don't think a lot of us on here, got a bulletproof vest in their hands to use it... I think they are made from around 17 layers of Kevlar so you have some leftovers to test with. They mostly have an expiring date due to the fact that the weave might distort, not being able to hold the bullet anymore.
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carbonfibreworks
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matthieutje65 (25/02/2014)
I think by saying "please dont answer if you only think you realy know" you will not get a lot of feedback I don't think a lot of us on here, got a bulletproof vest in their hands to use it... I think they are made from around 17 layers of Kevlar so you have some leftovers to test with. They mostly have an expiring date due to the fact that the weave might distort, not being able to hold the bullet anymore. Do some wikipedia, youtube, google to see how they are made and you should find your answers I guess, or do the trial and error way ( I mean some small testsamples, not the entire gastank ofcourse) As above
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kickthedonkey
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Thats the thing. I estimated that i have around 8-10m² and try to buy that somehere. You´ll have to pay 300€ for that! I will of course do many tests before laminating the tank but I thought if someone has worked with it already and knows that it works I could be sure about using it. Thats why I dont realy need a great deal of feedback. I´ll keep you guys updated. I mean... 30€ for around 20m² kevlar cant be beaten!!!
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kickthedonkey
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So a little reply from me on this one. I tested a few bits with the Kevlar. Treating it with thinner helps to let the resin soak in. The tests without were not as good and it would delaminate quite easy. Carbon for CRP is always treated an coated to get a better bond between the resin and the carbon. It would be great to know what kind of a treatment it is and if it can be done to the Kevlar to make it useable for composites. Just think of all the cheap kevlar we could use that way!!
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Hanaldo
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Kevlar is cheap anyway, I pay about $150-200 AU for 10sqm. What's that, 90 GBP or so? No need to stuff around with thinners either, although I think the reason that may have helped prevent delamination in your tests is it displaced the moisture that the kevlar had absorbed. Have you tried putting the kevlar in the oven for a bit before laminating?
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kickthedonkey
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Well for me as a student its still realy expensive. The vest kosts around 30€ and you get around 20-25m² out of one vest so the little extra work is totaly worth it in my case!  Next time i´m working with it i´ll try that!
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Warren (Staff)
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Depends on the vest what type of kevlar is in it. Before i worked here, I stripped apart a few old British vests I had from my military time and extras from a surplus shop. The specific type I had was full of multiple layers of Plain weave Kevlar around 200gsm. You can get some good size pieces from them.
For what was £20 from a shop or free if you signed up, I got probably about 20sqm per vest.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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Dravis
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I have reused some kevlar braided "hose" from rope-covers .. I had to wash these in a strong detergent, then rinse with acetone .. Then the Epoxy Resin would bond just like on the "normal" kevlar cloth. I have a kevlar vest, but I'm not planning to cut that up ... It stays in the "bug out kit" -- even when it gets old, its still better than no vest, should things go sideways in a major way ... 
Btw --- I have some kevlar and twaron cloth .. maybe we can "trade" when I get around to visiting you for the CF you have for sale?
"Sapere Aude"... Dare to KNOW! The written word is the only truly efficient vehicle for transmitting a complex concept from mind to mind... 103% of all people do not understand statistics... Do not adjust our mind, theres a fault in reality :-)
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Warren (Staff)
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I still have a couple of decent vests I wont cut up either!! With the multi strike Hard plates as well of course.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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