First up lets clear the decks on this regarding rods.
The term “graphite†is a consumer used phrase that was used in the late 70’s and has carried on through today. Graphite as you know it is “Carbon Fibre†which is what manufacturers and vendors refer to it as. All that is happening is that now that you have many other types of products made from this fibre and they are calling it carbon fibre now some of the blank manufacturers are trying to use that name to give a higher tech name to the same product. Thus HMC and HMG is no different too.
Technically we have been fishing carbon fibre rods, not graphite. No rods are being made or have been made from true graphite. That term has been used very loosely over the years but all the rods and blanks since existence that have been called graphite are actually, technically termed, carbon fibre.
But like the term rod "Action", graphite has seemed to have become the conventional common use term. Most likely the lay up of the plys of the new "carbon fibre" blanks that is a material contributor to the enhanced performance.
The most major advances in the use of composites comes from advances in the very difficult and complex manufacturing processes associated with the carbon fibre based composites.
Fibre and Composites
Graphite vs. Carbon
There has been many questions as to whether or not the rod blank is ‘graphite’ or ‘carbon fibre’. In fact, carbon fibre and graphite fibre are really one in the same. For years engineers, sales people, and technologists have debated what exactly to call the material as Andrew Marshall points out in his book Composite Basics, “(from the inception)…the scientists involved could not seem to agree on exactly what it was they were producing, some calling it “carbon fibreâ€, while other equally qualified authorities termed it, “graphite fibre.â€
To see where the debate began and why we feel that the correct term actually is carbon fibre, let’s look at how the material is made. The carbon used is actually made by extruding and refining PAN: poly-acrylonitrile, fibres to a diameter between 5 and 7 microns. Theses fibres exhibit the highest tensile and compressive strengths of any of the carbon-based fibres, while being the least dense, making them ideal for strong, lightweight components. Numerous time and energy intensive steps are required to convert PAN to carbon fibre, beginning with Oxidation, followed by Carbonization and Graphitization. The final step of graphitization, which is generally considered under the umbrella of carbonization, is likely the origin of the term “graphite†when used in this context. Graphitizing typically occurs just after carbonizing, and is analogous to the heat treatment of steel. The difference, however, is that the temperatures of carbonization must held below about 2500° C to avoid actually turning the carbon into pure graphite, while the time duration is much longer for the carbonization of the fibres to improve integrity and produce ideal molecular structure. Care must be taken as a quick blast at 2800° C can turn the carbon into pure graphite, losing all structural integrity of the product.
The final carbon fibre exhibits incredible structural properties in that it has higher tensile strength and modulus than steel, while being 40% less dense than aluminum. The primary reason for the strength and stiffness of the material comes from its molecular structure, which is where the graphite debate becomes heated Though visually similar to graphite, even under microscopy, high-grade carbon demonstrates a highly amorphous internal structure with very strong bonding. This folded, random structure allows for the incredible mechanical properties mentioned above. Graphite, on the other hand, exhibits a beautiful, perfect crystalline structure similar to that of table salt, making the material weak and brittle. The mechanical difference becomes obvious when you look at the uses of graphite in pencil lead, or as a dry lubricant. The structural differences of the two materials go a long way towards demonstrating the difficulty in manufacturing high quality carbon fibre materials. The difference between the two is only about 200 °C during the carbonization (graphitization) process, and unfortunately, the results are irreversible.
NOW for the souls who spend exorbitant amounts on rods because they are carbon fibre vs. graphite you most likely will not believe this either because you prefer to fall for the marketing gimicks. We could start a series about rods but let me say first up i don't buy any of the marketing gimicks i work off scientifically proven facts only. This was a first post to clear the decks on the graphite vs. carbon fibre controversy.
The term “graphite†is a consumer used phrase that was used in the late 70’s and has carried on through today. Graphite as you know it is “Carbon Fibre†which is what manufacturers and vendors refer to it as. All that is happening is that now that you have many other types of products made from this fibre and they are calling it carbon fibre now some of the blank manufacturers are trying to use that name to give a higher tech name to the same product. Thus HMC and HMG is no different too.
Technically we have been fishing carbon fibre rods, not graphite. No rods are being made or have been made from true graphite. That term has been used very loosely over the years but all the rods and blanks since existence that have been called graphite are actually, technically termed, carbon fibre.
But like the term rod "Action", graphite has seemed to have become the conventional common use term. Most likely the lay up of the plys of the new "carbon fibre" blanks that is a material contributor to the enhanced performance.
The most major advances in the use of composites comes from advances in the very difficult and complex manufacturing processes associated with the carbon fibre based composites.
Fibre and Composites
Graphite vs. Carbon
There has been many questions as to whether or not the rod blank is ‘graphite’ or ‘carbon fibre’. In fact, carbon fibre and graphite fibre are really one in the same. For years engineers, sales people, and technologists have debated what exactly to call the material as Andrew Marshall points out in his book Composite Basics, “(from the inception)…the scientists involved could not seem to agree on exactly what it was they were producing, some calling it “carbon fibreâ€, while other equally qualified authorities termed it, “graphite fibre.â€
To see where the debate began and why we feel that the correct term actually is carbon fibre, let’s look at how the material is made. The carbon used is actually made by extruding and refining PAN: poly-acrylonitrile, fibres to a diameter between 5 and 7 microns. Theses fibres exhibit the highest tensile and compressive strengths of any of the carbon-based fibres, while being the least dense, making them ideal for strong, lightweight components. Numerous time and energy intensive steps are required to convert PAN to carbon fibre, beginning with Oxidation, followed by Carbonization and Graphitization. The final step of graphitization, which is generally considered under the umbrella of carbonization, is likely the origin of the term “graphite†when used in this context. Graphitizing typically occurs just after carbonizing, and is analogous to the heat treatment of steel. The difference, however, is that the temperatures of carbonization must held below about 2500° C to avoid actually turning the carbon into pure graphite, while the time duration is much longer for the carbonization of the fibres to improve integrity and produce ideal molecular structure. Care must be taken as a quick blast at 2800° C can turn the carbon into pure graphite, losing all structural integrity of the product.
The final carbon fibre exhibits incredible structural properties in that it has higher tensile strength and modulus than steel, while being 40% less dense than aluminum. The primary reason for the strength and stiffness of the material comes from its molecular structure, which is where the graphite debate becomes heated Though visually similar to graphite, even under microscopy, high-grade carbon demonstrates a highly amorphous internal structure with very strong bonding. This folded, random structure allows for the incredible mechanical properties mentioned above. Graphite, on the other hand, exhibits a beautiful, perfect crystalline structure similar to that of table salt, making the material weak and brittle. The mechanical difference becomes obvious when you look at the uses of graphite in pencil lead, or as a dry lubricant. The structural differences of the two materials go a long way towards demonstrating the difficulty in manufacturing high quality carbon fibre materials. The difference between the two is only about 200 °C during the carbonization (graphitization) process, and unfortunately, the results are irreversible.
NOW for the souls who spend exorbitant amounts on rods because they are carbon fibre vs. graphite you most likely will not believe this either because you prefer to fall for the marketing gimicks. We could start a series about rods but let me say first up i don't buy any of the marketing gimicks i work off scientifically proven facts only. This was a first post to clear the decks on the graphite vs. carbon fibre controversy.
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putting something back into the forum and maybe keeping some extra cash in your pocket 
