Carbon frame materials, what does it mean?

[Christian Schneider]

When I look at different frame manufacturers I come away very confused when they list the types of carbon used in their frames.
I recently looked at Battaglin: they say their frames are: T 1200HM/ M30 HM-3K TWIL what the heck does that mean?
Another brand touts carbon made by Mishubishi.
Bianchi claims nano something is added to their carbon.
Is there a primer available on this jargon?

 

[rgmerk]

nothing

When I look at different frame manufacturers I come away very confused when they list the types of carbon used in their frames.
I recently looked at Battaglin: they say their frames are: T 1200HM/ M30 HM-3K TWIL what the heck does that mean?

The short and cynical answer - nothing.

As I understand it, a variety of different carbon fiber materials, with different properties, are used within a single frame to achieve the right mix of strength, stiffness, flexibility, light weight and so on.

As such, the acronyms listed above - which I gather refer to specific types of carbon fiber that are used for *parts* of the frame - tells us virtually nothing about whether the bike is any good, or what characteristics it is likely to have.

 

[Notso Swift]

The raw material differet, different tensile strengths, weaves, different numbers from manufacturers and all that, but really it isn't much of an indication of quality.
A lot of crap frames will "up spec" their materials to get some perceived quality, or the highest quality frames use it as well!
At the end of the day how it is glued together (the quality of the resins, layup, R&D in to what needs to go Where - and why) that makes more difference.
(For instance someone like Cyfac use T800, T1200 is 50% stronger Fibre, yet Cyfac are most likely the best carbon frames in the world)

T 1200HM/ M30 HM-3K TWIL
I am not 100% sure but T1200 (Toray 1200, which is their highest tensile rating), HM (High Modulas) / (or) M30 (Mitsubishi 30 ton rating) - 3K TWIL ( is the weave 3000 fibres in a twill pattern 2 up two down diagonally across) remembering that 1 fibre is about 1/50 of a human hair!

BTW 90% of all carbon comes form those 2 manufactures!