Carbon Fiber Question and salt water

[Bryan Young]

I'm just wondering if the below statement (in red) is true or not regarding dry "carbontex" drag washers? I'm mainly quering the bolded part. Personally, I always grease carbontex washers with cal's but, I was wondering if dry carbontex washers can be ruined from saltwater intrusion? The below implies the carbontex material wont/can't and salt can easily be cleaned off? I know standard carbon fibre washers can be ruined but can the carbontex material in a worst case saltwater intrusion scenario

"salt can get into the Carbontex washers if the reel is unfortunate enough to get a salt bath but one of the major advantages of them is that the carbon material itself won't absorb the salt and the salt will wash out of the washers very easily."

I mainly want to know this just incase I get handed a reel in the future that has dry carbontex washers but have had bad saltwater intrusion which is either fit for the bin or worth salvaging - again, thinking of a worst case saltwater intrusion scenario?

Many thanks in advance!

The answer is yes and no.

The statement is correct that carbon material itself will not absorb salt particals but will attach itself to the carbon fiber.  When the salt drys, a crystaline process occurs where salt molecues starts to bunch together, pushing out the carbon fibers, and breaking the fibers, including separating the fibers from the securement material (such as the fiberglass resin backing material.

If your customer would like you to try to save the drag washer, let them know that it will take $30 (30 minutes of time) to determine if the drag washers can be saved or spend $ to just replace them with new washers.  If the drags are filled with salt particles, it will most likely be unusable.

Hope this helps.

[Bryan Young]

So no fibre material, including the carbontex brand, is safe from oxidation. Would I be right in thinking, the opposite of oxidation is reduction, hence the select grease used both protects and keeps the drag operation smooth running?

I would not call it oxidation because the carbon doesn't really oxidize.  I would probably refer as a build-up of salt that had degraded the drag washer.

The grease has several purposes.  One, it keeps water and salt build-up to a minimum.  Note that it does not elmininate the possibilities of salt collection.  Two, it creates a lower start-up friction (think of it as if you are pushing a car.  It's harder to start pushing, but once it's rolling, you have to keep a lighter pressure to keep the car going...unless you are going up hill of course.).  Three, it keeps the drags smooth in the even that the get wet.  Water intrusion will heat up and expand in the drag stack, tightening up the drag even for a split second, which could snap your line due to a jerky drag.  Four, it keeps the drag stack cooler due to the smoother operation with a medium that holds and transfers heat better than air.

[Bryan Young]

Regarding the grease; I did think greased carbon fibre eliminated the possibility of build up. Thanks for putting me straight on that. So it does not eliminate, the application just minimizes. Gotcha. Maybe I haven't been interpreting Alan's tutorials very well? The American fishing lingo is totally different to the fishing lingo here and deciphering the terminologies can be a task in it's self for me 

I definately understand your other reasonings for No.2 start-up; No.3 smoothness when wet with an expanded drag stack; and No.4 cooling.

[Keta]

It's best to keep saltwater out of the carbon weave with grease, especially if the drag material is glued to a expensive part of the reel.

[alantani]

like bryan, i get alot of questions via pm.  these are great questions and can be answered by anyone of a dozen guys here.  it's really helpful to get these questions out so that other's can benefit.