The difference between dry carbon fiber and wet carbon fiber

Wet vs. Dry Carbon Fiber
If you’re a car fan, you’ve definitely seen this material everywhere from accents to interior features. Outside of cars, carbon fiber is commonly seen in bicycle helmets and pocket knives as well.
Now, because carbon fiber is so common in cars these days, it’s important for any detailer to know the difference between the two kinds of carbon fiber, their various properties,
and how to properly maintain them. we’ll break down what makes wet carbon fiber wet, what makes dry carbon fiber dry, how they match up, and how to maintain them. Let’s get into it.
Wet Carbon Fiber
we suggested that wet carbon fiber gets its name from its glossy, “wet” appearance. In fact, the “wet” refers to its manufacturing process, by which the carbon fiber is coated in liquid resin before being vacuum-sealed to cure.
Dry Carbon Fiber
Dry carbon fiber’s name also comes from its manufacturing process. During manufacture, dry carbon fiber has its resin pre-preg that is, the resin is built into the fiber. Since no resin is being directly applied,
the fiber is “dry”.The pre-preg fiber is placed in an autoclave to cure at high pressure and heat, which removes impurities and strengthens the material.
Because the resin is baked in rather than applied on top, the fiber generally comes out looking flat rather than glossy.
Comparing The Two
Now that we’ve broken down the definitions of wet and dry carbon fiber, let’s see how they match up in different categories.
COST
Wet: Less expensive - production requires less costly equipment
Dry: More expensive - prepreg fiber costs more to produce, and the need for an autoclave also ramps up costs
STRENGTH
Wet: Weaker - the wet process has a greater potential for air bubbles and wavy fiber weaves, which reduces the strength
Dry: Stronger - the autoclave process eliminates air bubbles and other impurities, strengthening it significantly
WEIGHT
Wet: Heavier - applying resin rather than pre-preg it results in a greater weight
Dry: Lighter - pre-preg fiber weighs up to 50% less
QUALITY
Wet: Lower - it’s less strong, heavier
Dry: Higher - it’s much stronger and much lighter
MAINTENANCE
Wet: Requires proper maintenance to keep its appearance
Dry: Requires proper maintenance to keep its appearance
Now you should know how to choose the two materials.
If your clients are aftermarket industry, who pursuit the outlooking, they can choose wet carbon more economy
If your clients are OE standards who pursuit the strength and super light performance parts, they can choose dry carbon
Any material you choose from jcsportline which will do not let you down!
In the next video, I will do the live processing for the two kinds of material used in the final production. You will have a better understanding of our exploration.