JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #119 - Supplement lnnovation report - 35

Paris, France
March 6-7-8, 2018

Pre-development work with these high performance thermoplastic materials resulted in very interesting application
cases already earlier this year: lightweight photovoltaic panels and aircraft stowage modules. Thermoplastic Sandwich
preforms, called Organosandwich, made of glass fiber
reinforced thermoplastics skins (referred often as "organosheet" or, from German, "organoblech") offer a unique
set of properties and are the latest development from
EconCore. Integration of the honeycomb core production
with in-line lamination of composite skins allows producers
to minimize handling operations and to reduce production
costs of with thermoplastic sandwich materials. Moreover,
finishing and post-processing operations can be integrated in the process of production of the final sandwich part.
www.econcore.com

Automotive

Carbon fibre car
> Booth:
luggage cover plate
Hall 5 - N24
A chopped carbon fibre prepreg combining ELG's
recycled carbon fibre and Adesso's patented degradable epoxy resin has been pressed into auto parts
used an existing press in the host factory. The prepreg offers excellent mechanical properties, low density
and rapid prototyping capability, thus meeting weight
saving requirements and contributing to energy savings
and vehicle emission reduction. Due to the recyclability
and reuse of materials, the recycling value of carbon fibre
components is effectively realized, material costs are reduced (more than 30% lower than continuous fibre), and
moulding efficiency is improved.
Adesso's partner - Ch-Auto - will launch at least 2000
K50 cars in 2018. The K50 is equipped with a luggage
cover plate produced with the recycled chopped carbon
fibre prepreg.

Multi-sector

Nattex bio-based sandwich panel
> Booth:
Nattex Panel is a composite sandwich panel consisting of a foam Hall 5 - Q87
or honeycomb core and bio-composite skins incorporating flax reinforcement
fibres and a thermoplastic resin. Available in widths up to 2200 mm, this panel
is produced on a continuous impregnation and high-pressure lamination line,
without adding glue and therefore avoiding VOC emissions. The use of flax fibres and bio-based thermoplastic materials ensures recycling performance at the end
of life of this completely innovative panel, which also offers high acoustic and sound
absorption performance. Applications benefit from low weight, as well as the absence
of VOC emissions, and of toxic dust during cutting. The average weight of the panel
ranges between 3 and 6 kg/m², depending on the configuration of the materials used
for the core and skins, so that they can be used in applications requiring structural
weight reduction.
Manual cutting of the panel does not
generate any material causing toxic irritation or dust. The flax fabric is visible on
the surface, providing a decorative finish,
and the panel can be tinted or coated
with decorative films. All types of fixing
systems are possible.
The Nattex fibre-reinforced sandwich
panel brings technical and environmental benefits as it is sustainable, recyclable and
has an aesthetic finish. It is produced and used as part of a sustainable development
approach.
www.dehondt-lin.com

UHMWPE-reinforced high-performance
> Booth:
TPU membrane
Hall 5 - J94
The high-performance membrane developed by the Chinese
company Quantumeta uses a flexible composite material reinforced with an
ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabric and coated
with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin.
UHMWPE is a high-performance fibre that offers good mechanical properties with
a tensile strength and modulus at 4.0GPa and 140GPa, respectively, and a density
at 0.97g/cm3. UHMWPE fibre also has good UV and chemical stability, and its
flexibility makes it suitable for the reinforcement of flexible composites. However,
its inert surface and low melting point make it difficult to coat with any resin.
Multi-sector

Multi-sector

EconCore focusses on new hon- > Booth:
Hall 6 - R73
eycomb core developments
The need of replacing complex, heavy and expensive parts in high demanding applications becomes
more and more evident. At this moment, EconCore's
R&D team is advancing on developments with high
performance thermoplastic materials using the continuous
ThermHex honeycomb process. Several new engineered
thermoplastic materials like modified PC's, PA66's, PPS
were successfully tested and are being developed at the
newly refurbished EconCore's R&D facilities. EconCore
is entering into the final phase of validating these materials and targets this year new application developments in
markets of automotive, aerospace, transportation and
building
&
construction.

TPU is a special high-polymer material that can retain high elasticity in a wide range
of hardnesses and within a wide temperature range (-40 to 12°C), without requiring a plasticizer. Therefore, TPU
can be used as a replacement for
PVC for health reasons. TPU offers outstanding resistance to cold
temperatures, retaining good elasticity, flexibility and other physical
properties at temperatures as low
as minus 35°C. It also has a good
mechanical strength, wear resistance, and impact resistance. The
UHMWPE fabric is modified with a chemical and physical treatment so that it can
be combined with TPU to produce the membrane composite. Using an innovative
fabric design and specific moulding process, the membrane's axial tensile strength
can reach 9500N/5cm for an areal weight of 1000g/m², far higher than the PET/
PVC membranes commonly used in the market.

www.adessomaterials.com

N° 119 supplement - Innovation Report

www.quantumeta.com

/ jec composites magazine

http://www.dehondt-lin.com http://www.econcore.com http://www.adessomaterials.com http://www.quantumeta.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #119 - Supplement lnnovation report