Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

CF water cooker

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic12561.aspx

By MarcelvanH - 8/15/2014 12:05:59 AM

Hey guys,

Thanks for having me on this forum. I am new in the world of composites and want to test an idea with you experts I have been walking with for quite some time.

In the outdoor world everybody is wanting to go lighter and lighter. I wonder if I can make a simple pot for cooking water. Boiling temperature of water is of course 100C and given the thin layer of CF and the conductive properties of CF I would think the pot outside surface will not get any hotter than 100C. I read that CF can take pretty much any temperature and that the limiting factor would be the resin. However a temperature resistant resin could do the trick? 

I am curious on your thoughts on my idea. But please, if you want to react, please give me some proper feedback. Thanks!

PS: I am not a native English speaker so please excuse me for any spelling errors.

Marcel
By Dravis - 8/20/2014 10:43:33 AM

I tend to concur with "brainfart" ... it probably is not worth the effort..

To make a functional CF "pot" you would need to make a very thin laminate, with a very low ratio of Epoxy to CF (in order to keep a reasonable heat conduction. I do not even see vacuum bagging being enough to ensure this without microscopic air-bubbles that will seriously weaken the "system" in more ways than one, let alone doing it by hand laminating.
I know that for F1 cars some teams make CF transmission cases, as far as I know they are made by using high pressure stainless steel molds, with both an inner and outer mold, and compressed in hydraulic presses with tons of pressure.
This is the only way to ensure a very low resin to CF ratio, and make sure there are no air-bubbles, and they are still X-rayed to sort out any that have issues ...

I think making a one-off of this sort of thing, that really works and is safe to use, will be MUCH more expensive that just buying a titanium pot in an internet outdoor shop... Whistling and probably heavier! my double walled thermo-cup from Japan weighs 100 grams, and holds 400 ml ...  the single wall cups of the same size are half that or less...

Then again... you could probably make one that is just for use as a simple drinking/eating carrying-water pot, which could be used for cooking in an emergency... this is what I'm doing with the "protection can" for my Jetboil.

It will be made from 3 layers of 130 g  plain weave CF, with a food safe coating on the inside.  it will be a two part "can" with a flange at 2/3'rds of the height, so when taken apart I will have a tall and a flat "Pot"

I will make room inside for a very thin 50 cm long x 20 cm high flat sheet of CF, to act as a wind shield when cooking, I will make it thin enough, so that it can be rolled up and put inside the "pot" and the Jetboil inside it.