[RaceBannon]

I wondered that, too, a lot of Graphite stuff is black, but look at the outside surface: GREEN, most that I have seen in green colored, the graphite I have seen in spars is greyer and only is a layer or so, not through the materials in all places.

I say the black is a heat damage from the incident of shearing, failure itself. Too many sharp edges.

For the record, fatigue would NOT MAKE EDGES DISAPPEAR, but the sharpness would NOT remain over time, it would on the outer edges of th material, you can see a fraying of the material like a wisping of thematerial, but not inside, that would be pressed and opened many times, it would be reduced in sharpness. I see too much sharpness.

[Cboldt]

The resin may have a color that is different from the fibers, and the final, outside surfaces are usually painted or otherwise coated. Beside the frayed edges being black, the area that the "shoulder of the bolt" bears against is also dark in color.

If there was significant heating, the melting of resin might have "softened" the frayed appearance. Anyway, pure speculation from me, on all points.

http://www.abaris.com/Downloads/Newsletter1-v4.pdf <-- Interesting facts in this publication