Structural technopolymers with optimal mechanical properties
■ Plastics and elastomers hold a remarkable place in a large number of industrial sectors. Material suppliers are constantly searching to break down new barriers by regularly improving their mechanical properties. How to make them even stronger. The different processes that exist are described and their technical and economic elements compared in this survey.
This survey firstly analyses in a very detailed way the mechanical properties of polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyimides (PI), aromatic polyamides-imide (PAI), liquid crystal polymers (LCP), polyetherethercetones, polyethercetones and polyarylethercetones (PEEK, PEK and PAEK), polycyanates or ester cyanates, polyetherimides (PEI), polyethersulphones (PES or PESU) and polyarylsulphones (PPSU).
To optimise the properties of these technopolymers, the survey details and documents the different possible options, for example subsequent treatments (molecular orientation through stretching, annealing, reticulation, surface modification) or the contribution of other materials (fibres and other acicular reinforcements, different fibre-based reinforcements, foam cores, honeycombs and similar, compact cores, etc.). The survey also presents reinforcements with millimetric fibres (glass fibres, carbon fibres, aramide fibres) and with centimetric fibres (LFRT, BMCs, DMCs and other loose thermosettings reinforced with centimetric fibres, SMCs - Sheet Moulding Compounds, stampable reinforced thermoplastics and GMT – Glass Mat Thermoplastics). Fibre reinforcements (pre-impregnated with mats, fabrics, uni-directional reinforcements, composites with thermosetting matrices and thermoplastic matrices) and sandwich composites are described, with analysis of the rigidity of sidings, the type of core and the thickness of the foam.
Ten case studies are described: endoscopic surgical material, re-useable and micro-waveable crockery, aircraft wing trim cylinder: injection of carbon-fibre reinforced PEEK, body of temperature exchanger thermostat for automobiles, technopolymers for electricity/electronics, use of composites in military and civil aeronautical construction, competition between reinforced thermoplastics and BMCs in cylinder head covers and development of an original GMT for beams for car bumpers. Lastly, a prospective analysis is proposed, which describes solutions being developed, such as improvement of the selection of polymerisation methods, cost reduction of polymers and reinforcements, development of new materials, nano-composites, graphite foams, the self-repair concept and innovations announced to take environmental constraints into account.
- Publication: February 2003
- ISBN: 2-906024-28-7
- Price for single work station: 350 euros, ex. tax
- Price for several work stations: 950 euros, ex. tax
