coating carbon fiber?

[js2know]

I want to coat a carbon fiber cylinder with chromium oxide, i would like to know the best method for doing this, and where i might be able to acuire the equipment to do so. thanks for any help.

[MichiganMan]

It takes a bit more information to provide this type of guidance. Is the cylinder dry fiber? Resin impregnated? How thick? Are you trying to accomplish a coarse or fine surface finish? Are you trying to coat the I.D., O.D. or both?

[Gordon]

Hi js2know

to the Surface Engineering Forum.

As MichiganMan has said we need more information to give meaningful guidance. For Chromium oxide top coat, I think a plasma spray installation will be required. Spraying onto these sorts of substrate is far from being straight forward.

[js2know]

Right now we have a sg-100 plasma system we are using for the chrome oxide. We want to apply a fine finished coating of zinc onto a dry carbon fiber resin impregnated cylinder. the coating will be on the O.D. The thickness could be anywhere from .020 - .060 thick per side. any other info that ya'll may need let me know. thanks for your help Joe

[Gordon]

Hi Joe

Arc spray is probably best way to apply zinc base coat.

".020 - .060 thick per side" if in inches I think this will be far too thick. I would keep the chromium oxide coating well below 0.015". Zinc coating should not really need more than 0.005 - 0.010". Even with this you will probably run into problems building up the chromium oxide coating.