Titanium Fiber for Motorcycles

[Travman]

Has anyone ever heard of Titanium Fiber and its use for motorcycle parts?  I heard about a few days ago, but was unsure if the person meant to say carbon fiber.  I just did an internet search and found a customized Buell with a titanium fiber bodywork and a Jardine titanium fiber exhaust for a sport bike, but that was it. 

[Raux]

the only search i found was in the medical field. titanium seems to be the best product for transplants due to its properties and the body not rejected it. the fiber material allows softtissue to bond better with the implant it seems. SOOOO we could make a biomechanical bike!

but the Jardin product is a Titanium can with a CF end cap. hence the name titanium fiber.

[Holden]

Interesting. It wouldn't be brittle like CF, would it? I'd imagine it would just crack and bend, but I could be wrong.

And I have to wonder why it isn't used in any racing machinery (or is it?)... at least it looks nice!

[Raux]

i don't think it exists for use in nonmedical situations yet. in theory, to take a metal mesh and then use a composite to bond it solid would be interesting, but i don't think it would be lighter than CF.

[BellissiMoto]

I believe that picture is actually of Texalium Fiber.

I'm sure whoever said Titanium fiber was just mistaken.

[Monsterlover]

So, after some Google action, I understand Texalium to be fiberglass with an aluminum coating to make it shiny?

[Norm]

I've seen the stuff in the pic on a few exhaust cans in Europe. They referred to it as titanium, but I have no idea or experience beyond that.

[corey]

The heel guards that came with my Rizoma rearsets are similar... They call it "alu-fiber."
Exact same weave pattern as CF, but it's aluminum. Not sure what kind of resin or bonding agent is used though...

[fastwin]

It isn't Ti-carbon but this is interesting.

http://www.carbonpartz.net/

[Desmostro]

You can use any kind of fiber with resin to get many kinds of characteristics.
What we call 'Carbon Fiber' is typically woven graphite 'impregnated' (as in soaked in through and through) in resin.

Resin is the stuff that makes it either stiff or flexible, or too brittle etc.
The fiber is the thing that gives it very high 'Tensile strength.' Alone CF is like cloth. So the resin is often what the big deal is. However the resin alone doesn't have much Tensile, or Shear strength. So ultimately it's the combo of things that make it work well for particular applications.

The thing that's special about Carbon Fiber is that it's strength is pound per pound way stronger than steel. So is Titanium, however, CF is still much stronger pound per pound than Titanium:

Material                                    Yield strength  (MPa)     Ultimate strength     (MPa)     Density   (g/cm³)
Titanium alloy (6% Al, 4% V)   830                                  900                               4.51
Carbon Fiber                            N/A                                  5,650                               1.75
Carbon nanotube                          N/A                                  62,000                       1.34

Carbon nanotubes have the strongest material ever measured, however it is still in development. The first test blew everything else away, however it's still no where near it's potential theoretical strength.


There is also a renaissance in resins. The typical resin we see CF in is Epoxy. There are many dozens of types for different applications.

In other words, the Titanium Fiber gas tank is much like the Buell. Pretty, heavy, and not very useful in most applications. 

This Titanium fiber is kind of cool though:

[Ivan]

Has anyone ever heard of Titanium Fiber and its use for motorcycle parts? 

Maybe its just this CF stuff that is called "Titanium Silver"?   http://www.oppracing.com/product_info.php

[fastwin]

That was the other site I couldn't think of when I posted the www.carbonpartz.net site!! Learned about both from the RC51.org/ROGUE site. Neat stuff.

[Raux]

OPP has some nice stuff

[Travman]

Maybe its just this CF stuff that is called "Titanium Silver"?   http://www.oppracing.com/product_info.php

You're probably right.  It does look like silver carbon fiber.

[BastrdHK]

I think we should divert the $819 billion dollar stimulus package to fund the R&D of carbon nano rod frames for monsters and throw a couple billion to prosthetics research for land mine maimed Somali children(next year....fly traps  ) just to get the tax write off.