composites | Fibre reinforcements
Right: Johns Manville’s ThermoFlow chopped
strands offer increased
processing at higher glass loadings
According to the company, DS 8800-11P exhibits very good mechanical properties, especially stiffness and heat stability. Heat ageing and hydrolysis/glycolysis resistance are also said to be very good. It is also suitable for food contact applications. Claudio Di Gregorio, 3B’s product leader for thermoplastics, says that growing restrictions related to food contact norms are adding severe limits to the design freedom of glass fibre products, and that this normally results in a decrease of product performance associated with a higher cost and product offering fragmentation. Johns Manville has developed a new range of
ThermoFlow chopped strands and StarRov direct rovings offering increased processing speed at high glass loadings. Products are suitable for use in polyolefins, polyamides and high heat resistant polymers. Lanxess reports strong growth in demand for its
milled short glass fibres, especially in thermoplastics compounds. Lanxess has four basic grades of milled short glass fibres in its range, all of them classified as E-glass. They differ in the formulation of their finishes (surface treatments) and the length of the fibres. Average fibre lengths range from 50 to 210µm. They have a uniform fibre diameter of 14µm and the residual moisture content is less than 0.05% by weight. The company highlights ease of dosing and consistent white colour. The range also includes product grades suitable for food contact applications. Lanxess says the milled short glass fibres also have
Below: Jushi Egypt’s new 80,000 tonne/ year glass fibre plant opened in Egypt last year
potential applications outside of conventional plastics compounding. For example, their small size makes them suitable for use in reinforced thermoplastics for 3D printers. Established glass fibre manufacturers in Europe now
have to contend with a new(ish) kid on the block. Jushi Egypt For Fiberglass Industry, part of China Fiberglass, opened an 80,000 tonnes/year production plant in Egypt
earlier this year. It is the only glass fibre plant in Africa and, due to its location in the China-Egypt Suez Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone, provides Jushi with good access to Europe as well as Asia and Africa. Output includes roving and chopped strands for thermoplastics as well as chopped strand mats for thermosets. The company believes it has an advantage over established suppliers with a plant that incorpo- rates the latest technology that makes it very cost- efficient; the facility is claimed to have the most advanced large-furnace technology in the world for the production of glass fibres. The company adds that, “depending on the market situation,” it could raise capacity to 200,000 tonnes.
Cutting the cost of carbon There’s been a great deal of buzz around carbon fibre-reinforced composites in recent months, espe- cially in connection with new cars such as the electric BMW i-Series. Most of these composites are based on thermosetting resins and continuous fibres, but fibre producers are also looking at applications in thermo- plastics compounds. Indeed, SGL Group (which has a joint venture with BMW in the US called SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers) recently began production in Scotland of carbon fibres that are formulated for compatibility with thermoplastics. The new production is initially aimed at applications in the automotive industry. “The next generation of carbon fibre-based products
is currently emerging in the thermoplastics sector,” says Peter Weber, VP for sales and marketing at SGL Group. The company introduced a new heavy tow carbon fibre - Sigrafil C50k - at the JEC Composites Show in Paris. SGL Group has developed a special sizing to optimize bonding between the fibre and the thermoplastic matrix. More sizing systems, for high-temperature applications and others, are at the development stage. Most carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic compos-
28 INJECTION WORLD | January/February 2015
www.injectionworld.com
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