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NEWS
PultTuded w i n d o w s for the high life Pultruded fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) window frames have considerable advantages over other materials f o r u s e in h i g h rise buildings. Alex Bottai of Inline Fib e r g l a s s of Ontario, C a n a d a , says t h a t FRP is t h e only high insulation, high s t r e n g t h m a terial suitable for tower b l o c k a p p l i c a t i o n s . Aluminiu m h a s p o o r t h e r m a l qualities, a n d polyvinyl chloride (PVC) a n d w o o d a r e o u t b e c a u s e of t h e i r s t r u c t u r a l shortcomings. T h e a d v a n t a g e s o f FRP w i n d o w f r a m e s include dura b i l i t y (will p r o b a b l y l a s t longer than the building); high i n s u l a t i n g v a l u e (higher t h a n w o o d or PVC); low m a i n t e n a n c e ; a n d availability in wide r a n g e of colours, says Bottai. Inline m a k e s six styles of pultruded FRP window frames and two types of p a t i o doors. T h e s e are highly cost c o m petitive, says t h e firm, bec a u s e its p u l t r u s i o n p r o c e s s p e r m i t s high s p e e d p r o d u c tion. "Basically we h a v e p e r fected pultrusion to the point, w h e r e we can p u l t r u d e five or six t i m e s f a s t e r t h a n a n y o n e else in t h e world", c l a i m s Bottai. Inline's p r o d u c t i o n r a t e is 2.5-3.0 m / minute. The profiles c o n t a i n a r o u n d 75% glass fibre. In a d d i t i o n to its C a n a dian facility Inline has recently opened manufacturing p l a n t s in R u s s i a a n d Poland.
A l e x Bottai, Inline Fiberglass, 141 Snider~'ofl Road, Concord, Ontario L4K 2J8, Canada; tel: + 1 416-7381052; f a x : + 1-416-7386392.
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Quartz tennis racket
Polymer Concrete and Polymer-Modified Concrete
C a r b o n fibre reinforced tennis r a c k e t s a r e c u r r e n t l y state-of-the-art, but quartz fibres will s u c c e e d c a r b o n , Rossignol Co believes. The f i r m ' s Vectris 8000 Q u a r t z racket: is t h e first on t h e market to use Quartzel fibres f r o m Q u a r t z & Silice of N a n t e r r e , France. Q u a r t z e l fibres are m a d e from high-purity natural q u a r t z crystals. T h e r o c k s a r e m e l t e d a n d f o r m e d into c o n t i n u o u s f i l a m e n t s with a d i a m e t e r of 7, 14 or 21 #m. U p to 240 f i l a m e n t s a r e combined into a flexible bundle, w h i c h is t h e n p r o c e s s e d into yarn, roving or chopped strands. Quartzel can be p r o c e s s e d n e a r l y as s i m p l y as E glass, says its producer. The fibre h a s a l r e a d y b e e n u s e d in a e r o s p a c e prog r a m m e s b e c a u s e of its excellent thermal, dielectric and structural properties. Quartzel has a tensile s t r e n g t h of 3.6 GPa, a d e n s ity a r o u n d 20% less t h a n t h a t of glass a n d an e l o n g a t i o n at b r e a k of 4.6%. Its coefficient of thermal expansion is v i r t u a l l y zero. C a r b o n fibre p r o v i d e d t h e stiffness the tennis racket m a n u f a c t u r e r required, b u t there were problems with brittleness and vibrations. Hybrid s o l u t i o n s of c a r b o n and Quartzel solved the p r o b l e m . The Vectris 8000 Q u a r t z r a c k e t is said to h a v e e x c e p t i o n a l accuracy, lightness, r e s p o n s i v e n e s s a n d resistance. The c o n t a c t w i t h t h e b a l l is s h a r p e r t h a n usual, says Rossignol.
Quartz & Silice, 25 Boulev a r d des Bouvets, 92000 Nanterre, France; tel: + 331-46-96-39-50; fax: + 33-14 7- 73-95-28.
5-6 March 1992 Newark, New Jersey, USA An international conference covering the business and technology of highly filled thermosetting resin systems. Applications include roof and floor tiles, pipe, wall panels, high-tension electric insulators, bridge surfacing, and machine tool bases. For details contact: Intertech Conferences 170 US Route One Portland, Maine 04105 USA Tel: 207 781 9800 Fax: 207 781 2150
Find out about the latest developments in plastics and polymer technology. Addition and natural polymers Condensation polymers Processing - general additives and applications Monomers and condensants Additives and compounding agents For up-to-date information about innovations in plastics and polymer technology, consult 'Chemical Palents Index'. Produced by Derwent Publications Ltd., an acknowledged leader in the provision of technical information to industry worldwide, CPI provides English language abstracts of original patent specifications issued by 30 authorities in different countries. CPI is the complete patents service giving you the choice of weekly current-awareness bulletins and online searching, with specialist coding enabling you to pin-point plaslics and polymer structures. Whelher you are an information ncienlist or patents professional, a researcher or a corporate planner, Derwent's flexible approach can adapt to suit your requirements. Call us today to find out more. Derwent Publications Ltd. 128 Theobalds Road, London WCIX 8RP Tel: 071 242 5823 Fax: 071 405 3630
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REINFORCED PLASTICS JANUARY 1992
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