JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #45 - November/December 2008 - 18

INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS 2008 CCE-JEC Innovation Awards Programme For the fourth year in a row, the CCE-JEC Innovation Awards event was held at the China Composite Expo, which took place from 17-19 September in Shanghai. The increasing number of candidates each year shows just how much interest the competition has aroused in both Chinese and foreign companies in China. The VIP on stage: a successful ceremony. competition aims to promote innovation, with this year boasting 10 awards in three categories: Raw Materials, New Applications, and Process & Equipment. Raw Materials Product name: Benzoxazine (BOZ) resin and composite. Applications: - BOZ can be used on its own or as a modifier mixed with epoxy, phenolic or bismaleimide resins in press moulding and RTM processes. - Production of high-performance composites for the aerospace industry. - Production of hard CCL (copper-coated laminates), as a non-halogen, fire retardant and heat resistant matrix material. - Production of class 155 and class 180 heat-resistant electrical insulation materials. - Production of high-strength, highrigidity machinery parts. Technical characterictics: - Widely available raw materials, flexible molecular design. - Open-ring polymerization, no need for small molecules, polymerization can be completed without a catalyst. - When the ring opens, a cross-linking structure similar to a phenolic resin structure is formed. - Zero shrinkage or low expansion after curing. - Excellent heat resistance, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. - High modulus, low thermal expansion coefficient, and low moisture absorption. Exhibitor: Sichuan University Polymer Science & Engineering department. Technical characterictics: - As styrene evaporation from the mould surface is reduced, the Neogel Eco gelcoat is not only ideal for working with large open moulds, but also with closed moulding processes. It results in a healthier workshop environment while improving yield by 15% as less material is used. A gelcoat layer with a high covering power was applied to the boat, allowing for a thickness of 0.25 mm rather than the normal 0.50 mm. While the weight of racing boats is strictly defined, this helped save another 2 kilograms (50% weight of the gelcoat layer), that could be used elsewhere to improve the boat’s stiffness. In accelerated weathering trials, Neogel Eco shows 35% better weatherability than a standard NPG gelcoat. - To meet the International Sailing Federation’s strict material requirements for this class of boats, DSM experts carefully selected the standard certified hull for the Olympic boat 470. This classified glass fibre hull was adapted with special resin layers to optimize the combination of materials. Factors such as surface tension, "wet-out", and the way the resin comes into contact with the glass fibre to achieve the best possible adhesion properties, were researched by DSM in order to develop a structural laminate three times as strong and with 120% greater stiffness. Product name: Neogel Eco. Applications: To make a successful boat for the Dutch Olympic 470 sailing team, polyester resin producer DSM developed Neogel Eco, a new low-VOC gelcoat specially formulated with a 25% lower styrene content than conventional formulations. jec composites magazine / No45 November-December 2008

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #45 - November/December 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #45 - November/December 2008