JEC World 2016: Fully recyclable sailboat hull demonstrator
Arkema (Colombes, France), in addition to news of its collaboration with Polystrand (Englewood, CO, US), had as the centerpiece of its stand a complete carbon fiber sailboat hull made with the company’s trademarked Elium liquid thermoplastic resin.
Arkema Inc. (Colombes, France), in addition to news of its collaboration with Polystrand (Englewood, CO, US), had as the centerpiece of its stand a complete carbon fiber sailboat hull made with the company’s trademarked Elium liquid thermoplastic resin. The vessel, dubbed Mini 6.50 Arkema 3 Innovation, served as a prototype or demonstrator, to showcase not only the infused hull but other Arkema products as well. Boatbuilder Lalou Multi, known for its ocean racing endeavors, built the hull using the easily-processed Elium acrylic, which is liquid at room temperature and suitable for infusion and resin transfer molding (RTM), but reportedly has the strength and stiffness of epoxy with 50% higher toughness, says the company. The fact that Elium is a thermoplastic makes the hull recyclable at end of life, a huge benefit according to Lalou Roucayrol, head of the Lalou Multi organization. Watch a video about the boat hull and Elium here: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/03/09/video-boat-building-recyclable-composite/.
Related Content
-
One-piece, one-shot, 17-meter wing spar for high-rate aircraft manufacture
GKN Aerospace has spent the last five years developing materials strategies and resin transfer molding (RTM) for an aircraft trailing edge wing spar for the Airbus Wing of Tomorrow program.
-
Infinite Composites: Type V tanks for space, hydrogen, automotive and more
After a decade of proving its linerless, weight-saving composite tanks with NASA and more than 30 aerospace companies, this CryoSphere pioneer is scaling for growth in commercial space and sustainable transportation on Earth.
-
Materials & Processes: Resin matrices for composites
The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here’s a guide to selection.
