JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #42 - July/August 2008 - 18

INNOVATIONS INOVATIONS Curing agents and systems for wind turbine blades Under the Baxxodur trademark, BASF sells a broad range of curing agents, accelerators and additives for professional epoxy resin processing. For the first time, the company presented its broadened offering: epoxy resin systems for fibre-reinforced composites specifically designed for the production of wind turbine rotor blades. Ever larger rotor blades help modern wind turbines to become increasingly more efficient. To facilitate rotor spans in excess of 100 metres exceptionally high-performance materials are needed. Conventional polyester-based composites are more frequently being replaced by more resilient fibre-reinforced materials based on epoxy resins. The design of the rotor blades, the raw materials used and the production process must be perfectly aligned with each other in order to achieve optimum performance. www.basf.de/intermediates according to a proprietary process that impregnates continuous fibre with a polypropylene thermoplastic resin. The new reinforcement is 15% lighter than a standard tape. This new product was developed for the transportation market and helps reduce weight while retaining the required strength, stiffness and impact resistance. The company also signed a European distribution agreement with glass fibre producer AGY covering Polystrand’s line of ThermoBallistic™ products. www.polystrand.com New glass fabric with chromium Taiwan Electric Insulator Co. Ltd. (TEI) has presented a brand new design material called TI-701-CHR. It is a newly designed glass fabric with chromium. It offers great softness with easy handling but TEI can adapt the fabric for those who prefer hardness. Additives for effective protection Innovative flame retardants, highperformance organic pigments, waxes, light stabilizers, antioxidants, and a permanent anti-graffiti coating – this is the comprehensive product range Clariant showcased. Exolit® OP is a trailblazing product series for the effective fire protection of polyamides and polyesters. It is non-halogenated and highly effective, already complying in low amounts with the most stringent fire protection classifications and key electrical properties. Exolit® AP is a flame retardant system. Because of its foaming effect in case of a fire, it is also referred to as “intumescent”. In combination with aluminium trihydrate, the total amount of filler can be reduced by up to 40-50% Exolit® RP a flame retardant system based , on red phosphorus, has established itself in Europe for the fire protection of GF polyamides, and PU or epoxy-based potting compounds. By adding only 6% of the additive, the UL 94 V-0 fire protection classification can be reached without major impact on the mechanical or electrical properties. Tutoprom® is an anti-graffiti system for railway interiors and exteriors. The transparent liquid was specially developed for non-porous surfaces such as plastics, including fibreglass-reinforced polymers, metal, and painted surfaces. The adhesion of graffiti colours, coatings or other markings is very low, which means that these unwanted substances can be easily removed. www.clariant.com The surface of TI-701-CHR has a natural metal black colour. It can be used for all types of applications, such as bikes, cars, or sports. TI-701-CHR is only a first step. www.teicomposite.com 3D woven Pi cross-sectional profiles Biteam AB has developed the very first fully 3D woven family of Pi ( ) cross-sectional profiles. High impact performance thermoplastic systems Curv® is a 100% polypropylene composite which exploits the mechanical properties of highly drawn polypropylene tapes in a matrix of the same material. In a patented process, high-modulus polypropylene tapes are compacted together to form a selfreinforced, thermoformable, 100% polypropylene sheet that retains a high proportion of the physical properties of the original tapes. The self-reinforced composite has a stiffness and strength comparable to many glass-reinforced materials, with the added benefit of exceptionally high resistance to impact, surprisingly maintained down to cryogenic temperatures, even as low as -196°C. Today, Curv is being used in a wide variety of commercial applications like suitcases, sport equipment, automotive parts (interior & exterior), antiballistic products, etc. www.curvonline.co The availability of different cross-sectional shapes offers structural engineers and designers a unique flexibility in designing constructions using profiled beams made of composite materials. It also provides the opportunity to mix and match different 3D woven profiles besides enabling relatively economical and faster modular construction. www.biteam.com Lightweight reinforcement tape Polystrand has developed a lightweight reinforcement tape for applications needing a higher strength-to-weight ratio. The continuous 32 cm wide tape provides 70% glass fibre by weight in a thermoplastic matrix. Polystrand™ reinforcing tape is made JEC Composites Magazine / No42 July-August 2008

http://www.polystrand.com http://www.basf.de/intermediates http://www.teicomposite.com http://www.biteam.com http://www.clariant.com http://www.curvonline.co

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #42 - July/August 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #42 - July/August 2008