The latest innovation from Huntsman Advanced Materials GmbH of Basle is a one-piece hockey stick. It is manufactured from a new ductile modified highly modern artificial resin system, known as Read Full Post
The 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver consisted not only of a fight between athletes but also a contest between materials.
Light, strong, flexible – these are the requirements that must be provided by sports equipment.
2009 was also a difficult year for the processors of fibre composites. According to the information given by the Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK), the demand for and the production of duroplastic SMC and BMC components was determined by market developments in the main automobile and electronic applications.
The “Envirez” material from Ashland Performance Materials is used in boatbuilding (Photo: Ashland).
Epoxy resins are the elixir for numerous composite applications. They consist of polymers, which together with suitable hardeners produce a duroplastic plastic of high strength and chemical stability. When epoxy resin and hardener are mixed, after a specific time, curing of the originally viscose mixture takes place. Depending on the formulation and temperature, this time span can take a few minutes or may last several hours. In some cases, the curing time may also take several months.
The Krempel-Group, from Vaihingen, offers with the BD system, prepregs that are based on modified epoxy resins with high impact resistance and excellent dynamic properties. These can be processed into high strength structural components with all standard processes. The curing range is between 85 and 140 degrees Celsius, the maximum dimensional stability under heat is 125 degrees Celsius.
Technical principles, trends and innovations – in an international lecture forum, the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair will again present specialist lectures on current topics relevant to the industry in 2009. The COMPOSITES Forum will focus on all areas of composite applications.
Topics range from crash-safe materials in the automotive field to sandwich panels in aircraft construction, from growth potential in the construction of wind energy parks to production and machining processes for composites. The programme features a total of 26 lectures and presentations in English and German.
Block material is usually used for the manufacture of ultra firm, lighter weight carbon composites. This involves the curing of a combination of epoxy resins, micro glass spheres and a curing agent in an autoclave. When curing the pre-impregnated carbon fibres, a composite laminate is produced in the same shape as the original model. This in turn forms the basis for the pertinent carbon component. Epoxy based composite materials have become the norm especially for high speed use, for example in Formula 1.
Block materials are also becoming the norm not only in high-tech applications, such as those for speedy runabouts, but also in other industries. In addition to the customary automobile industry, examples can also be found in railway and ship building as well as in aviation. In addition, companies in the wind energy sector are increasingly relying on the blocks that are stuck together from slabs in defined standard sizes. At the Composites Europe Trade Fair, which will take place in Stuttgart from 27 to 29 October 2009, high-tech as well as routine applications will be on display.
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