Author: Arianna Prinz

What is G-10?

G-10 material is a thermosetting industrial laminated plastic consisting of a woven glass cloth material and an epoxy resin matrix. It’s used for applications that require electrical insulation and high mechanical strength while operating in a room temperature environment. There are variants of the G-10 material that can operate in extreme weather conditions, but these are simply that, variants. It is a material that is typically used alongside electrical equipment due to its insulating properties. However, it is also a widely used material in the knife industry and even has a hand in a number of industries; ranging from guns to gears, washers, and electro-mechanical machinery.

Why is G-10 a Common Material for Knife Handles?

G-10 is commonly used in knife handles due to its strength and durability even under tough conditions, and its ability to be machined into many forms and textures to accommodate any situation. G-10 is waterproof, making it ideal to be used in wet environments. Though it wasn’t originally intended for knife handles, G-10 has proven to be quite effective in the industry and has become a mainstay over the last few years for knife owners and creators alike.

Is G-10 a Better Material Than Phenolic varieties (Micarta)?

The question of G-10 being better than phenolic (Micarta) is an easy one to answer. G-10 is, in essence a version of phenolic (Micarta) that is more durable. G-10 follows the same creation process as phenolic (Micarta) except G-10 is made with fiber glass and epoxy resin while phenolic varieties (Micarta) use cotton cloth, Kraft paper, or other natural fibers as its main substrate. An advantage to phenolic (Micarta) that may give it an edge over G-10 is that you can use a wide variety of fabrics to make it. Essentially anything from denim to paper can be used to create phenolic (Micarta), while G-10s signature material provides it with its additional strength and temperature resistance.

How Long Does G-10 Last?

As mentioned above, G-10 is a highly durable and strong material that is built to last, even under unfavorable conditions due to the fiberglass, or epoxy in its formula. Unlike traditional metal and other materials, the epoxy in the G-10 doesn’t rust, become brittle, or soften with the passage of time. Each time you pick it up will feel good as new. Another perk of making use of such a strong material is that it is exceptionally low maintenance when compared to other materials as well, due to its long-lasting properties. The only weakness G-10 seems to possess is exposure to sunlight for long periods of time will eventually discolor it and become brittle. However, even if G-10 is left outside it will still last for an extreme length of time, up to multiple years, before it degrades to a point where it will need to be replaced or discarded. Overall, G-10 will last you a significant amount of time regardless of the conditions it faces.

How Customizable is G-10?

One of the best perks that G-10 brings to the table is its highly customizable nature. G-10 is able to be machined to meet your preferences and comes in a wide variety of colors and styles that can suit anyone who is seeking to use it. The handle of a knife, a handle for tools, or the grip of a gun is a great place for some unique customization. Whether that be a textured grip for better handling, or an interesting pattern or color scheme that allows it to blend into its environment or stand out depending on what you’re using it for, G-10 be widely customized, aesthetically speaking. G-10 handles can be sanded, textured, or polished allowing for even more unique designs. All in all, G-10 can be customized to suit designer, engineer, or user preferences, regardless of the design or specific application.

Start Your Custom G-10 Order Today!

We at Current Composites are ready to take your order for G-10 materials. Whether you intend to use it for any type of handles, grips, or many of its other applications, we can assure you that we will supply exactly what you need for any given job. To start an order on our website, you can go to our contact page and fill out a form. If you do choose to go this route, after we receive the order, we will work with you to get you exactly what you need. We can also receive your order by phone if you prefer, and we would follow the same process as the online form, just over the phone instead of via email. Our company seeks to get every order right every time, and we will work with you to ensure that this is the case for your experience as well. No one does G-10 custom orders like Current Composites. Get in contact with us today, and we’ll work to get your order processed to your satisfaction right away!

5 Common Applications for Laminated Sheets

Laminated sheets are made of a substrate such as fiberglass cloth, carbon fiber cloth, canvas, linen, and paper mixed with a resin. Phenolic, epoxy, melamine, or polyester resins are used in the prepreging process. The prepreg is pressed under high heat and pressure to form a thermoset laminate. These sheets have a multitude of uses spread across industrial, automotive, testing, medical, sports and many other industries. 

Industrial: 

A full-sized sheet is often fabricated into other parts such as bushings, gears, bearings, or spacers. These parts are designed to use in welding machines, oil & gas equipment, and other insulation needs; they provide the strength and insulation needed for these applications. The material can be processed by CNC machining, laser cutting, or water jet cutting to create precise parts for unique applications. The sheets can also be cut to size into small, thin panels, that are used in printed circuit boards, or large, thick panels used for wear plates in steel mills. These panels can withstand substantial wear and tear.

Automotive: 

Very thin sheets of G-10/FR4 are used under the dashboard in cars and helicopters to separate the electrical components. Laminated carbon fiber is also used for interior design in automobiles. Carbon fiber is available in a variety of different weaves include plain, twill, and geometric patterned weaves. A block of phenolic laminated canvas can be machined into a carburetor riser for cars, while thin carbon fiber sheets can be machined into reed valves for snowmobiles and motorcycles. A piece like this will last for an amazingly long time. Laminated sheets are also used as backing plates to mount hardware in boats. 

Testing: 

G-10/FR4 and G-11/FR5 are perfect for electrical environments due to their dielectric insulating properties. They are also used as materials in labs for testing. Thin sheets of G-10 are a component in vibration testing. Static dissipative coating on top of G-10 material is used to provide static-controlled environments for electrical testing. 

Medical: 

One of the medical uses can be found in stethoscopes. The flat diaphragm is formed from a flat, thin, rigid plastic disk of epoxy fiberglass plastic. Another use is with X-rays and MRI machines. There is a plate of epoxy-based carbon fiber under the bed to create a safe environment for the patients using the machines. 

Sports: 

Laminated sheets can be made in many different colors and layered or burled to create beautiful and unique patterns which develop a decorative material for knife handles and gun grips. Many kinds of laminates including G-10, G-11, carbon fiber, canvas, linen, and paper are used for these applications. Carbon fiber can also be used, in the form of thin tubes, to make arrows for hunting. Thicker carbon fiber tubes make up the structure for pop-up hunting blinds. 

Conclusion

These five common applications for laminated sheets are only a handful of the plentiful ways to use the materials. Sheets are versatile enough to be used as large panels but can also be machined into application-specific parts. The substrates and resins combined to make these laminates produce very strong products that will last a significant amount of time regardless of the environment.

A  HISTORY OF G-10 AND FR-4

G-10 is a thermosetting industrial laminated plastic consisting of a woven glass cloth material and an epoxy resin matrix. First introduced in the 1950’s, G-10 was the original glass of epoxy laminate used in printed circuitry. The high strength, excellent electrical properties, and chemical resistance of G-10 make for a very versatile material that is now being used in a wide variety of applications.

Today most of what is called G-10 is actually FR-4, the flame retardant version of G-10. This explains why you will also see the material designated G-10FR. This means FR-4. The material FR-4 can usually be used where G-10 is called out, however, G-10 should not be used where FR-4 is specified.

What is G-10?

G-10 is a thermoset plastic. It is suited for use in applications requiring electrical insolation and extremely high mechanical strength at room temperature. For temperature specific applications, the variations of G-10 will be noted as G-10/CR for cryogenic or G-10/FR4 for flame-retardant. Our G-10 is a NEMA grade material composed of epoxy resin laminated fiberglass.

What is FR4?

FR4 is G-10 epoxy laminated fiberglass with fire-retardant properties. FR4 is also a thermoset plastic. This material is required in applications involving electronic or high temperature environments. It can withstand heat up to 140^oC. The material has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is also suitable for both dry and humid conditions.

How do G-10 and FR4 compare?

FR4 can be used where G-10 or FR4 is called out. But just G-10 cannot be used in specific FR4 applications since it would not withstand the electrical aspects of the environment.

How long does G-10/FR4 material last?

It all depends on where the material is being used. If it is not exposed to sunlight, it has an extremely long-lasting life. Used inside machinery, structures, or vehicles, a piece of G-10 would be permanent. If it is placed outside, it would slowly degrade over a period of years because it does not have UV protection properties and the sunlight would cause it to slowly degenerate.

How strong are these materials?

Strength depends on the thickness of the material and the application.

What colors is G-10 material available in?

The natural color is a jade green, but we have developed up to 21 colors in the FR4 material, colors including red, blue, black, white, orange, and even a glow-in-the-dark color (Dayglow), tan, Ivory, purple, pink, several greens as well greys. Keep an eye on our “What’s New” page for new product and color releases.

What is the future of this material?

The sky is the limit for the future of G-10/FR4. This material is all in the hands of the designers and engineers. There are a variety of uses for it in increasingly advanced technologies such as electrical vehicle insulation applications.