What are the differences between UK, 3K, 12K, 18K, and 24K Carbon Hockey Sticks?
UD, 3K, 12K, 18K, and 24K are different types of carbon fiber weaves used in the production of ice hockey sticks and are also widely applied in the fields of sports equipment, aerospace, automobile manufacturing, etc. Carbon fiber is a high-performance fibrous material composed of carbon elements, known for its light weight, high strength, and high rigidity. Common ones include UD (Uni-Directional) and 3K, 12K, 18K, 24K, etc., which are cross-woven. These numbers represent the number of fibers in each bundle of carbon fibers.
UD carbon fiber (Uni-Directional carbon fiber)
UD carbon fiber refers to the fiber cloth in which the carbon fibers are arranged in a single direction and has extremely high axial strength. Since the fibers are arranged in a single direction, it has the best mechanical properties in this direction, but the strength in the direction perpendicular to this direction is weak.
3K, 12K, 18K, 24K carbon fiber
3K, 12K, 18K, 24K carbon fibers are not uni-directional but cross-woven together like a net. These numbers represent the number of carbon filaments contained in each bundle of carbon fibers. For example, 3K carbon fiber is a fiber bundle composed of 3,000 carbon filaments, and 18K is 18,000. With the increase in the K number, the flexibility and impact resistance of carbon fiber improve, but the density increases, and the weight and the appearance width also increase. Compared to UD carbon fiber, the cross-woven carbon fiber has better uniformity in all directions, but the axial strength is slightly lower than that of UD.
Appearance of UD, 3K, 12K, 18K, 24K carbon fiber
UD carbon fiber looks like pure black. 12K carbon fiber looks wider than 3K.
Differences between UD, 3K, 12K, 18K, 24K carbon fiber
Axial strength: UD carbon fiber has the highest axial strength, while the axial strength of 3K, 12K, 18K, 24K gradually decreases.
Flexibility: With the increase in the K number, the flexibility of carbon fiber increases, but the weight also increases.
Cost: Generally, the higher the K number, the higher the cost.
Application field: Carbon fibers of different K numbers are suitable for different application scenarios. For example, UD carbon fiber is often used in positions requiring extremely high axial strength, while high K number carbon fibers are suitable for positions requiring better flexibility and impact resistance.
application of carbon fiber in ice hockey stick products
The ice hockey stick is a key equipment in ice hockey, and its performance directly affects the performance of athletes. When designing ice hockey sticks, manufacturers will select the appropriate type of carbon fiber according to the needs of the target market to obtain the best performance or design more durable and economical sticks for amateur enthusiasts.
In conclusion, different types of carbon fibers provide diverse choices for the design and manufacture of ice hockey sticks, enabling the products to better meet the needs of different users.