The data on the Marske website about the graphlite (TM) rod they use
indicates
a glass transition temperature of 212F. So I tried heating some with a
heat gun
to see if I could put a permanent bend in it. No luck.

I think maybe it uses a phenolic resin which is thermosetting, rather
than thermoplastic. If I understand these things, heating a phenolic
resin raises the glass transition temperature so that you really
cannot soften it.

I've thought about wetting a tow with epoxy, and then wrapping it
around a form. The problems I anticipate include flattening of
the tow, and not keeping approximately equal tension on the
individual fibers as is done with pultruded rod. The second problem
might be addresses by flattenting and spreading the tow,
clamping it between squeegees, and then pulling on it so that
the fibers with the most tension slip in the clamp, shifting the
tension to the others, until they are all approximately equal.

But it would be a heck of a lot easier to buy a coil of rod and
shape it.

So some questions are, "Is there any practical way to work graphlite
(TM)
rod to bend it into a permanent curve? Does anybody make pultruded
carbon fiber ros using a thermoplastic resin? Is it possible I just
didn't
heat my sample enough?


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FF