Thermosets

The need to lower the steep costs of traditional manufacturing, involving expensive tooling and molds, makes advancing composite manufacturing a key research focus.

In the quest for sustainability, proper waste management is a main challenge, particularly when it comes to plastics. The Recyclopedia initiative teaches proper sorting and disposal of plastics and other items.

Toray Industries Inc. and MODEC Inc. have jointly developed another technique for repairing offshore oil and gas platforms. This latest approach uses a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic patch, together with epoxy resin, to fix small areas affected by corrosion.

The future of commercial aviation is heading towards supersonic flights, and the development of new composite materials that meet the highest thermal and stiffness requirements will be the keystone for this new era in air transportation.

Composite materials with natural fibers are presented as alternative and sustainable solutions for manufacturing finishes in fully recyclable vehicles. The French company “Automotive Performance Materials” has sought to leverage the country’s high hemp production to produce these composites.

Researchers in the U.K. say they have developed a way of introducing degradable bonds into thermoset polymers to make them more easily recyclable.

A groundbreaking flame retardant has emerged to redefine the performance of epoxy composites. Meet tris[4-(2,5-dioxopyrrol-1-yl)phenyl] phosphite (TDPPI), a phosphorus-based maleimide boasting unparalleled attributes such as moderate transparency, enhanced thermal stability, and improved mechanical strength.

The use of “forever chemicals” in the European Union would be largely banned under a proposal issued by the European Chemicals Agency. At the same time, more US states continue to ban PFAS-containing products without a clear roadmap for the plastic industry.

The V-Carbon technology is based on a patented “chemolysis” recycling process and offers up to 85% of carbon fiber’s original strength.

BComp, a Swiss composites company brings to the table a natural fiber alternative for reinforced plastics compared to carbon fiber.

Winning parts in annual thermoforming competition highlight advances in process capabilities and materials  Ten parts representing a range of applications won awards at the SPE Thermoforming Division’s annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., last fall.   The event lived up to…

AVK, the Frankfurt, Germany-based Federation of Reinforced Plastics, named sensXPERT winner of its 2022 Innovation award for the Digital Mold process sensor system it developed. The company is part of Netzsch Process Intelligence GmbH, of Selb, Germany. (U.S. office is…