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DuPont textile can increase impact resistance of composites
MATER~
MFG licenses Alba-Core
technology
US FIRMS Isorca Inc, of Granville, Ohio, and Molded Fiber Glass Com• panies (MFG), of Ashtabu• la, Ohio, have signed an agreement whereby MFG will license Isorca's Alba• Core@> technology for ap• plications in the transpor• tation market. Alba-Core is a novel structural core material for sandwich (skin and core) composites. The licensing agreement ex• clusively authorises MFG to manufacture, sell, use and sub-license Alba-Core in the car, bus, light and heavy truck, railroad and rapid transit markets. According to Isorca product manager Charles L. Mcteer, "Alba-Core re• presents an entirely new core material concept that can revolutionize composite sandwich structures. This agree• ment with MFG provides an ideal path for this product because MFG is well positioned to take
advantage of its contacts in the transportation mar• kets." The benefits of the core material are said to be its superior thermal stability, broad engineer• ing flexibility, and the ability to be moulded easily into complex shapes. Sandwich parts can be made stronger, stiffer and lighter, result• ing in attractive econom• ics for most applications, says Meteer. Alba-Core can be man• ufactured with a number of different resins. The phenolic version, for ex• ample, combines excel• lent smoke and flame properties with low cost. With most applica• tions of skin and core resins, Alba-Core requires no additional bonding adhesive. Isorca has ap• plied for a patent for Alba-Core. Charles L Meteer, Iso• rca Inc; tel: + 1-614-587• 3262; fax: + 1-614-587• 1881.
DuPont textile can increase impact resistance of composites DUPONT says that its Isofors Spunbond is a non-woven material that can increase the impact resistance of composites. The versatile non-woven polypropylene provides a cost-effective, health- and environmentally-friendly material for a multitude of applications where safety, weight manage• ment and impact resis• tance are required, says the firm. The material is manu• factured using an inte• grated process in which continuous filaments of polypropylene are spun and then immediately formed into a multi-direc• tionally arranged web, heat-bonded at filament crossover bands. The con• tinuous fibres of Isofors Spunbond are thus evenly distributed in a thin, iso• tropic structure. Its very high elonga-
tion to break, tear resis• tance and low weight permit its use as a cost• effective element in com• posites, such as in sand• wich structures or as a surface layer, in applica• tions which require superior penetration and tear resistance (energy absorption). Tests have been successfully con• ducted on laminates with epoxy, polyester and poly• urethane resins, alone, or in combination with glass fibres. Isofors Spunbond is made from 1()()% polypro• pylene using no binders or fillers. It therefore has other benefits such as being non-polluting in manufacture and not harmful to health. Cornetis A Koster, Du Pont de Nemours Inter• national SA; tel: + 41• 22- 717-5239; fax: + 41• 22-717-6021.
Lightweight SMC is targeted at aerospace parts ITS NEW range of high performance, epoxy-based sheet moulding com• pounds (SMC) combine advanced physical proper• ties and light weight, says Permali Premix. Aimed particularly at military and aerospace structural applications, the new range called Ly• tex offers aircraft con• structors advantages in terms of weight savings and also economy com• pared with alternative ma• terials, says the firm. The material was developed by
Quantum Composites, a division of Premix Inc, of North Kingsville, Ohio, with which Permali Pre• mix has a compound technology licence for SMC and bulk moulding compound (BMC). The standard Lytex compound is black with a 58% glass content of 1.27 ern strands. It is claimed to have excellent mechanical properties, re• tention of properties at high temperature, good chemical resistance and electrical properties. Ly-
tex 9063FR is a flame retardant version of the compound. Other varia• tions are available with longer length fibres and in different colours. Lytex compounds have already passed a rigorous test programme at Boeing Airplane Co and are now specified on many compo• nents, including the 737 tailcone, skin panels for the new 777 and fairing thrust reverser struts for the 767 series. When moulded, typical values for Lytex 9063FR
•
are 457 MPa (flexural strength), 18 GPa (flex• ural modulus), 242 MPa (tensile strength), 23 GPa (tensile modulus), 172 MPa (compression strength) and 13.1 GPa (compression modulus). The Izod impact value is 190 kg.cm/em. Moulded parts will withstand a heat deflection tempera• ture up to 300°C and continuous use at 176°C, says Permali Premix. Permali Premix Ltd; tel: + 44-/452- 528671; fax: + 44-/452-507409.
Reinforced Plastics OCtober 1995
MFG licenses Alba-Core
technology
US FIRMS Isorca Inc, of Granville, Ohio, and Molded Fiber Glass Com• panies (MFG), of Ashtabu• la, Ohio, have signed an agreement whereby MFG will license Isorca's Alba• Core@> technology for ap• plications in the transpor• tation market. Alba-Core is a novel structural core material for sandwich (skin and core) composites. The licensing agreement ex• clusively authorises MFG to manufacture, sell, use and sub-license Alba-Core in the car, bus, light and heavy truck, railroad and rapid transit markets. According to Isorca product manager Charles L. Mcteer, "Alba-Core re• presents an entirely new core material concept that can revolutionize composite sandwich structures. This agree• ment with MFG provides an ideal path for this product because MFG is well positioned to take
advantage of its contacts in the transportation mar• kets." The benefits of the core material are said to be its superior thermal stability, broad engineer• ing flexibility, and the ability to be moulded easily into complex shapes. Sandwich parts can be made stronger, stiffer and lighter, result• ing in attractive econom• ics for most applications, says Meteer. Alba-Core can be man• ufactured with a number of different resins. The phenolic version, for ex• ample, combines excel• lent smoke and flame properties with low cost. With most applica• tions of skin and core resins, Alba-Core requires no additional bonding adhesive. Isorca has ap• plied for a patent for Alba-Core. Charles L Meteer, Iso• rca Inc; tel: + 1-614-587• 3262; fax: + 1-614-587• 1881.
DuPont textile can increase impact resistance of composites DUPONT says that its Isofors Spunbond is a non-woven material that can increase the impact resistance of composites. The versatile non-woven polypropylene provides a cost-effective, health- and environmentally-friendly material for a multitude of applications where safety, weight manage• ment and impact resis• tance are required, says the firm. The material is manu• factured using an inte• grated process in which continuous filaments of polypropylene are spun and then immediately formed into a multi-direc• tionally arranged web, heat-bonded at filament crossover bands. The con• tinuous fibres of Isofors Spunbond are thus evenly distributed in a thin, iso• tropic structure. Its very high elonga-
tion to break, tear resis• tance and low weight permit its use as a cost• effective element in com• posites, such as in sand• wich structures or as a surface layer, in applica• tions which require superior penetration and tear resistance (energy absorption). Tests have been successfully con• ducted on laminates with epoxy, polyester and poly• urethane resins, alone, or in combination with glass fibres. Isofors Spunbond is made from 1()()% polypro• pylene using no binders or fillers. It therefore has other benefits such as being non-polluting in manufacture and not harmful to health. Cornetis A Koster, Du Pont de Nemours Inter• national SA; tel: + 41• 22- 717-5239; fax: + 41• 22-717-6021.
Lightweight SMC is targeted at aerospace parts ITS NEW range of high performance, epoxy-based sheet moulding com• pounds (SMC) combine advanced physical proper• ties and light weight, says Permali Premix. Aimed particularly at military and aerospace structural applications, the new range called Ly• tex offers aircraft con• structors advantages in terms of weight savings and also economy com• pared with alternative ma• terials, says the firm. The material was developed by
Quantum Composites, a division of Premix Inc, of North Kingsville, Ohio, with which Permali Pre• mix has a compound technology licence for SMC and bulk moulding compound (BMC). The standard Lytex compound is black with a 58% glass content of 1.27 ern strands. It is claimed to have excellent mechanical properties, re• tention of properties at high temperature, good chemical resistance and electrical properties. Ly-
tex 9063FR is a flame retardant version of the compound. Other varia• tions are available with longer length fibres and in different colours. Lytex compounds have already passed a rigorous test programme at Boeing Airplane Co and are now specified on many compo• nents, including the 737 tailcone, skin panels for the new 777 and fairing thrust reverser struts for the 767 series. When moulded, typical values for Lytex 9063FR
•
are 457 MPa (flexural strength), 18 GPa (flex• ural modulus), 242 MPa (tensile strength), 23 GPa (tensile modulus), 172 MPa (compression strength) and 13.1 GPa (compression modulus). The Izod impact value is 190 kg.cm/em. Moulded parts will withstand a heat deflection tempera• ture up to 300°C and continuous use at 176°C, says Permali Premix. Permali Premix Ltd; tel: + 44-/452- 528671; fax: + 44-/452-507409.
Reinforced Plastics OCtober 1995