CompositesWorld, publisher of High-Performance Composites and Composites Technology magazines, has announced that the agenda is set, with two new speaker additions for its High-Performance Fibers 2009 Conference, which will be held Nov 17-18, 2009, at the Doubletree Guest Suites Historic Charleston Hotel (Charleston, S.C., USA). This year’s conference co-chairs will be Dana Granville, senior materials engineer at the Weapons & Materials Research Directorate of Army Research Laboratory (AMSRD), and Scott Northrup, global director of new business development at AGY. Also, the early-bird discount for the conference will be extended to Oct. 23, 2009.

Miles Rothman, general manager of TechFiber (Tempe, Ariz.) will present, "Composite Thermoplastic Unidirectional Fabrics for Hard Armor Applications," outlining the benefits of unidirectional materials and the effects of hybridizing aramids with new low-cost fibers in hard military and non-military opportunities to reduce weight without sacrificing performance. Prof. Muhuo Yu of Donghua University in the P.R. of China will give a review on recent developments for high-performance fibers and their applications in China, including organic fibers and biodegradable composites, as well as inorganic and carbon fibers.

This international conference is designed for executives from leading manufacturers of high-performance fibers, such as p-aramids (Kevlar and Twaron), high-performance polyethylenes (HPPE, Spectra and Dyneema), boron, silicon carbide and other specialty fibers, to network with end users, such as OEMs, DoD and other research labs, and composites parts manufacturers. Discussions will cover the diverse business opportunities and technical challenges that lie ahead in high-growth applications such as body and vehicular armor, high-performance rope and cordage and flame resistant fibers, as well as in the blast-resistance, marine, aviation and aerospace markets.

“This year’s agenda will have some very interesting presentations, including several on new technologies, such as auxetic fabric designs for blast mitigation and ballistic protection fabrics and Milliken’s Tegris polypropylene composite material,” said Scott Stephenson, conference director.

In addition, there will be a pre-conference seminar the morning of Nov. 17. "High Technology Fibers And Fabric Structures in Body Armor Applications," will be presented by Dr. Bhuvenesh Goswami, Alumni Distiguished Professor Emeritus, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University.

For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.compositesworld.com/hpf or contact Ralph Jessie, conference manager, by e-mail at jessie@compositesworld.com; by phone at +1 207-221-6603; or by fax at +1 207-221-5848.