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New resins for glass fibre injection moulding
[COMPOSITES panel and the rib through a layer of insulating material which is the area of the structure most subject to corrosion. Other uses for Staifix are in the strengthening of existing high rise structures without the need to evacuate the buildings, and in providing ductile/high-yield anchors for motorway balustrading. George Clarke (Sheffield) Ltd, Penistone Road, Sheffield 6, UK
New resins for glass fibre injection moulding Highly reactive low viscosity polyester resins specially developed for resin injection glass-fibre moulding processes have been introduced by BIP Chemicals ( T u r n e r g: Newall Limited). Designated 'Beetle' 859 and 860, the former is a carrier for benzoyl peroxide catalyst, whilst 860 is a preaccelerated resin. The production of glass-fibrereinforced polyester mouldings by the resin injection process involves injecting catalysed and accelerated resins into a closed matched mould preloaded with glass fibre (see Composites, Vol 2, No 2, page 68). T h e two resins are stored in separate pressure pots, mixed in the injection gun in equal proportions, and then fed into
Letter to the editor
the mould via a tapered socket. T h e •good flow characteristics and fast rate of cure of the two Beetle re'sins will enable moulders to take full advantage of the fast production cycles claimed for the process. BIP recommend that, because 859 resin is very reactive, the quantity of pre-catalysed resin prepared at any one time should not exceed the amount neded for a normal working day. An information sheet soon to be published will give the properties of the two resins, and the gelation times that are obtained from different catal)'st/resin ratios at various ambient temperatures. British Industrial Plastics Ltd, PO Box 11, Warley, Worcestershire, U K
Britain's newest planetarium at Jodrell Bank, home of the University of Manchester's space observatory and giant radio telescope, has a c a r dome and an inner surface lined with heavy asbestos material : both materials having been supplied by T u r n e r Brothers Asbestos. T h e planetarium, costing £38 000, is England's second largest, the 4 0 f t diameter of the dome comparing with London's 60ft, seats 148 and also doubles as a 206-seat lecture room. It
FromDr D. C. Simpson
(1) T h e jacket which is shown constricts the front of the body, this will become quite impractical in the course of the next year or so as the children develop and the fitting of that type has been discontinued at. this Centre since January 1970. (2) T h e jacket shown has a hinge at the back and a fastening at the front and this can take up inaccuracies produced from working from the cast. T h e more modern type of jacket does not have a hinge and must be made directly from the child. F o r tfiis reason we do not consider Ring's technique of value to us in our Centre. (3) T h e case for the stainless steel is somewhat unfavourably put in the article. Fabrication of the two jackets required for each child can be completed i:n two and a half
was opened in April by the University chancellor, the Duke of Devonshire. T h e dome was constructed by Plasco Ltd of Blue Gates, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent. It was moulded in sixteen segments consisting of a fire retardant polyester reinforced with alternating layers of TBA's ECR 144 and ECK 24 woven rovings, used as a sandwich laminate on a core of fourinch Dufaylite paper honeycomb. T o obtain acceptable acoustics i,n the dome the entire inner surface was lined with a heavy asbestos material, TBA's T 5 3 woven asbestos cloth. This material also functions well as a projection screen, provides additional thermal insulation, prevents condensation on the inner surface and acts as an additional safeguard against fire. T B A Glass Fibre Division, Rochdale, Lancashire, UK
GRP dome for observatory
CFRPjackets
Your report on cvm, jackets in the June 1971 issue of Composites, page 72, is perhaps somewhat misleadiaag. The points are as follows:
news I
days (not ten days each) and the jackets with the shoulder fittings weigh between 4 0 0 g and 4 5 0 g depending on th'e child, and not the 6 2 0 g quoted. My staff have also worked with Miss Carter in constructing carbon fibre reinforcements of malleable aluminium strip which can be m o u l d e d directly to the child. At the moment this technique looks as if it will give us the accuracy of fit we require for the child's comfort. I would conclude by saying that we are not entirely happy about the use of carbon fibre on its own. W e think that it is not sufficiently flexible to be safe in the event of a child falling in the playground and that the fractures which may occur are too dramatic to be acceptable. D. C. Simpson, Orthopaedic Bio-engineering Unit, Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh E H 1 0 TED, UK
American Ceramic Society adds Cement Division T h e American Ceramic Society has established a Cement Division, bringing the number of Society Divisions to eleven. T h e new Division was formed by the Society's Board of Trustees on 28 A p r i l , during the organization's 73rd Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago. T h e new Cement Division of the American Ceramic Society is intended to provide a forum for all types of cements, whether inorganic or organic, nsed in conjunction with inorganic materials. Those interested in joining are asked to contact Executive Director F. P. Reid, American Ceramic Society, 4(}55 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214, USA. T h e American Ceramic Society, with more than 10 000 members and subscribers in 62 countries, is the world's largest society devoted to the advancement of ceramic science and tech nology. T h e eleven Divisions of the Society are: Basic Science, Cement, Ceramic-Metal Systems, Design, Electronics, Glass, Materials 8c Equipment, Nuclear, Refractories, Structural Clay Products and White Wares.
Japanese licencees for sandwich moulding process Licences relating to the ICI sandwiizh moulding process have now been granted by 1CI Plastics Division to three Japanese companies: Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd, Sumitomo Shipbuilding andEngineering Co Ltd, a n d the Japan Steel Works Ltd. These licences, with the one recently granted to United Packages Ltd (for their subsiduary Ceeco of Sydney, Australia) are the first outside Europe and bring the number of licensees, so far, to ten. ICI, Millbank, London SW1, UK
~t3MPORITES September 1971
137
New resins for glass fibre injection moulding Highly reactive low viscosity polyester resins specially developed for resin injection glass-fibre moulding processes have been introduced by BIP Chemicals ( T u r n e r g: Newall Limited). Designated 'Beetle' 859 and 860, the former is a carrier for benzoyl peroxide catalyst, whilst 860 is a preaccelerated resin. The production of glass-fibrereinforced polyester mouldings by the resin injection process involves injecting catalysed and accelerated resins into a closed matched mould preloaded with glass fibre (see Composites, Vol 2, No 2, page 68). T h e two resins are stored in separate pressure pots, mixed in the injection gun in equal proportions, and then fed into
Letter to the editor
the mould via a tapered socket. T h e •good flow characteristics and fast rate of cure of the two Beetle re'sins will enable moulders to take full advantage of the fast production cycles claimed for the process. BIP recommend that, because 859 resin is very reactive, the quantity of pre-catalysed resin prepared at any one time should not exceed the amount neded for a normal working day. An information sheet soon to be published will give the properties of the two resins, and the gelation times that are obtained from different catal)'st/resin ratios at various ambient temperatures. British Industrial Plastics Ltd, PO Box 11, Warley, Worcestershire, U K
Britain's newest planetarium at Jodrell Bank, home of the University of Manchester's space observatory and giant radio telescope, has a c a r dome and an inner surface lined with heavy asbestos material : both materials having been supplied by T u r n e r Brothers Asbestos. T h e planetarium, costing £38 000, is England's second largest, the 4 0 f t diameter of the dome comparing with London's 60ft, seats 148 and also doubles as a 206-seat lecture room. It
FromDr D. C. Simpson
(1) T h e jacket which is shown constricts the front of the body, this will become quite impractical in the course of the next year or so as the children develop and the fitting of that type has been discontinued at. this Centre since January 1970. (2) T h e jacket shown has a hinge at the back and a fastening at the front and this can take up inaccuracies produced from working from the cast. T h e more modern type of jacket does not have a hinge and must be made directly from the child. F o r tfiis reason we do not consider Ring's technique of value to us in our Centre. (3) T h e case for the stainless steel is somewhat unfavourably put in the article. Fabrication of the two jackets required for each child can be completed i:n two and a half
was opened in April by the University chancellor, the Duke of Devonshire. T h e dome was constructed by Plasco Ltd of Blue Gates, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent. It was moulded in sixteen segments consisting of a fire retardant polyester reinforced with alternating layers of TBA's ECR 144 and ECK 24 woven rovings, used as a sandwich laminate on a core of fourinch Dufaylite paper honeycomb. T o obtain acceptable acoustics i,n the dome the entire inner surface was lined with a heavy asbestos material, TBA's T 5 3 woven asbestos cloth. This material also functions well as a projection screen, provides additional thermal insulation, prevents condensation on the inner surface and acts as an additional safeguard against fire. T B A Glass Fibre Division, Rochdale, Lancashire, UK
GRP dome for observatory
CFRPjackets
Your report on cvm, jackets in the June 1971 issue of Composites, page 72, is perhaps somewhat misleadiaag. The points are as follows:
news I
days (not ten days each) and the jackets with the shoulder fittings weigh between 4 0 0 g and 4 5 0 g depending on th'e child, and not the 6 2 0 g quoted. My staff have also worked with Miss Carter in constructing carbon fibre reinforcements of malleable aluminium strip which can be m o u l d e d directly to the child. At the moment this technique looks as if it will give us the accuracy of fit we require for the child's comfort. I would conclude by saying that we are not entirely happy about the use of carbon fibre on its own. W e think that it is not sufficiently flexible to be safe in the event of a child falling in the playground and that the fractures which may occur are too dramatic to be acceptable. D. C. Simpson, Orthopaedic Bio-engineering Unit, Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh E H 1 0 TED, UK
American Ceramic Society adds Cement Division T h e American Ceramic Society has established a Cement Division, bringing the number of Society Divisions to eleven. T h e new Division was formed by the Society's Board of Trustees on 28 A p r i l , during the organization's 73rd Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago. T h e new Cement Division of the American Ceramic Society is intended to provide a forum for all types of cements, whether inorganic or organic, nsed in conjunction with inorganic materials. Those interested in joining are asked to contact Executive Director F. P. Reid, American Ceramic Society, 4(}55 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214, USA. T h e American Ceramic Society, with more than 10 000 members and subscribers in 62 countries, is the world's largest society devoted to the advancement of ceramic science and tech nology. T h e eleven Divisions of the Society are: Basic Science, Cement, Ceramic-Metal Systems, Design, Electronics, Glass, Materials 8c Equipment, Nuclear, Refractories, Structural Clay Products and White Wares.
Japanese licencees for sandwich moulding process Licences relating to the ICI sandwiizh moulding process have now been granted by 1CI Plastics Division to three Japanese companies: Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd, Sumitomo Shipbuilding andEngineering Co Ltd, a n d the Japan Steel Works Ltd. These licences, with the one recently granted to United Packages Ltd (for their subsiduary Ceeco of Sydney, Australia) are the first outside Europe and bring the number of licensees, so far, to ten. ICI, Millbank, London SW1, UK
~t3MPORITES September 1971
137