Graphite

[powayfisher]

Whats the difference between Im6,Im7,and Im8 graphite? Whats the best? It seems to me that the Im8 would be,but I know absolutly nothing about any of them!!!
Any help would be greatly appreiciated.

Thanks,


PHIL G.

[zman]

Well naturally, the most expensive is the best.....

[gallenl]

The im6-im7 are all manufacture ratings of graphite,what you really want to know is how many parts per million modulus of graphite it has in it .

flippin4it

[powayfisher]

Thank you guys, and I do understand that they are ratings, but I'm trying to better understand what the ratings mean. I have some rods that say Im6 but costed alot more than others I have that say Im8,and Im trying to figure if Im just paying the extra for the name are
If the rating makes a whole lot of difference. And what I'm asking is just because it says one rating are another does that have anything to do with the quality of the blanks?

thanks again


PHIL G.

[zman]

I think that the ratings vary depending on which brand, there are no standards across the industry, but the IM rating refers to the number of graphite layers there are. I can say that it is somewhat accepted that the higher IMs are better for sensitivity but also more brittle.

[FatBass]

Here's a little excerpt of something I wrote a while ago:

Modulus, what does it all mean?

Modulus is the degree of stiffness with which a rod rebounds from a bent position. This term became important to the rod industry with the introduction of graphite. Various companies strive for high modulus ratings with increased performance, casting and sensitivity. Modulus is broken down into two categories I will speak of here:
IM graphite Intermediate Modulus
HM graphite High Modulus

This is a general rating of modulus graphite. It can vary slightly from company to company but is mainly consistent.

Composite Graphite/Glass-roughly 25 to 30 million psi modulus
Intermediate 6-IM6-30 to 38 million modulus (38 is considered an HM for IM6)
Intermediate 7-IM7 about 35 to 42 million modulus
Intermediate 8-IM8 about 45 million psi modulus
This rounds out IM ratings

High Modulus HM-54- 54 million psi modulus
High Modulus HM-85- 85 million psi modulus


Graphite rod blanks are depicted by their modulus ratings. This essentially describes the materials that the blanks are made of. Graphite is sorted by the quality of fibers. The higher the modulus rating, the more sensitive, lighter and brittle a rod blank can be.

There are several types of modulus material. The lower end materials are IM’s, which are intermediate modulus graphite’s. These include composites which are combinations of graphite and fiberglass and IM6 and IM7 graphite. Rods made with these materials can be very good quality but they do lack many features that a higher modulus rod offers. IM graphite is a bit more forgiving than HM materials. The highest rated rods such as HM-85 must be blended with reinforcing agents such as titanium or other materials to prevent breakage. Generally the highest modulus blanks are mixed with other materials to prevent rigidity and breaks. Some materials are titanium, kevlar, boron, and lesser graphite. As you increase the modulus of a rod, you increase the price. You also increase the performance: the sensitivity, and power are enhanced.

[gonefishy2002]

That was very informative . I have myself often wondered about what the ratings mean.
Thanks earthworm. 8)