Dry Carbon vs. Wet Carbon

"Our customers expect high-quality OEM quality at a fair price – not just the lowest price."

- Tobias Sydlik (Dipl.-Ing.)

The current market for carbon auto parts in Germany and Europe is characterized by a variety of different processes, materials and qualities. Therefore, our customers might ask themselves: "Why should we as consumers choose MAX CARBON's Dry Carbon Prepreg products? After all, they are also carbon products, and we see that the products of other suppliers are significantly cheaper."

Simple to answer: We only offer the best dry carbon prepreg products under the brand 'MAX CARBON'.

The difference between wet and dry carbon in details
The main difference between “wet” and “dry” carbon is the way it is processed, particularly the method by which the resin is applied to the carbon.

- Wet Carbon: Liquid resin is applied directly to the carbon fibers in the mold, often with a brush or spray gun. This process is called "wet lamination." Production takes place without the use of an autoclave or compression molding process and is simply carried out at room temperature using a vacuum bag. Fiberglass is very often used!
Wet Carbon Production
 
- Dry Carbon: In this case, the carbon fibers are already pre-impregnated with resin before they are cured in an autoclave or compression molding process under pressure and heat. These pre-impregnated fibers are called “Dry Carbon Prepreg”.

Dry Carbon Production
The use of autoclaves and compression molding processes is characteristic of dry carbon, also known as "dry carbon."

Comparison between Dry Carbon and Wet Carbon

Now that we have clarified the definitions of wet carbon and dry carbon, let's take a look at how they compare in different categories.


Optics:
- Dry Carbon: Significantly more attractive and cleaner carbon structure with clear lines.
- Wet Carbon: Poor carbon look; the structure is inferior, especially in curves, and the lines appear chaotic.


Materials:
- Dry Carbon: 100 % carbon, pre-impregnated with Epoxy resin .
- Wet Carbon: very often only the surface consists of a layer of carbon fabric, the inside is usually made of fiberglass and a large amount of adhesive.

Cost:
- Wet Carbon: Very inexpensive – less equipment is needed for production.
- Dry Carbon: much more expensive - the production of pre-impregnated fabric is more expensive, and the need for a high-temperature, high-pressure autoclave increases the costs. An autoclave also consumes an extremely large amount of energy. Toolmaking is also significantly more expensive.

Strength:
- Wet Carbon: Weaker – larger air bubbles and a wavy structure of the fabric reduce the strength.
- Dry Carbon: Very strong – the high pressure, high temperature process eliminates air bubbles and other impurities, which greatly improves strength.

Weight:
- Wet Carbon: Heavy – the use of resin instead of pre-impregnated fabric results in higher weight, and fiberglass increases the weight considerably.
- Dry Carbon: Very light – pre-impregnated fabric can reduce weight by up to 50%.

Quality:
- Wet Carbon: Lower quality – lower strength and higher weight.
- Dry Carbon: Higher quality – stronger and lighter.

Care:
- Wet Carbon: Difficult to maintain – after two years it is difficult to maintain the original condition.
- Dry Carbon: Easy to maintain – similar to car paint, it can be polished and repainted if necessary.

Would you now like to choose the dry carbon expert MAX CARBON or opt for the cheaper wet carbon?

Any questions? Just send us a message.

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