The Pre-Preg Composite

The Hull, Deck and front tank components are all laminated with SP Systems SE84 pre preg system. Plies of uni-directional Pre-preg Carbon fibre are laminated either side of a Phenolic-coated aramid based honeycomb core.

The carbon skins are bonded to the nomex core with a pre preg adhesive film, which ensures a high strength bond with consistent weight and bond-line thickness.
Pre preg materials consist of a pre Catalyzed resin system that is impregnated into fibre reinforcment.
Increasing the temperature of the pre preg epoxy reduces the viscosity of the resin system from a tacky malleable solid at room temperature to a highly viscous liquid during the processing cycle through to the fully cured high strength solid structure.
During the cure cycle high vacuum pressure is used to further assist with resin impregnation into fibers and laminate consolidation by venting any entrapped air within the laminate. Vacuum pressure and temperature are carefully managed within the processing to control resin flow and viscosity. Any excess resin within the laminate is bleed into the vacuum bagging consumables pack.

The Epoxy resin is impregnated into the carbon fibers by machine, which ensures that pre preg laminates have a more consistent wet out and higher fibre content than can be achieved by conventional wet lay up techniques.
Carbon fibers are much stronger than resin so, logically the greater the proportion of carbon in a laminate the greater its strength. Correctly processed uni-directional carbon pre preg laminates have final resin contents as low a 35%.