GUIDE  TO  CHEMICAL RESISTANCE OF COMPOSITES  MADE  WITH ISOPHTHALIC, BISPHENOL AND VINYL ESTER RESINS COMPARED TO COMPETITIVE MATERIALS.

(Above chart is only a partial list of recommendations . Please  refer to  exhaustive Chemical Resistance Chart available with us for  Recom­mended  resins  for use with specific chemicals. In any  case,  it  is advisable to seek the recommendations of your consultants before selecting a resin system.)

Composites by virtue of its light weight, strength, impact  resistance and  durability  makes them  ideally suited  for  the manufacture  of prefabricated, portable and modular buildings as well as for  exterior cladding  panels,  which can simulate masonary or  stone.  The  recent availability of highly fire resistant phenolic composites opens up  a new  market for composites in building applications. The total  poten­tial for structural applications in building application has  scarcely been  tapped compared to the matured chemical &  corrosion  resistant application market. It is possible to make single run or multiple  run architectural  applications  economically due to the versatility  and durability of composites. 

Typical  application of FRP composites in building components  include beams,  columns, roof trusses, roofing, purlins and sidings. Most  FRP composite  buildings  are used in corrosive environments  or  located where electromagnetic transparency for antenna housing applications is the main design parameters.    

Green  houses made with composites gives benefits not  available  with alternative materials of construction. Compared to lower priced  poly­ film-over-frame configurations and traditional greenhouses with  glass or  thermoplastic  glazing, composites will not tear  and  is  longer-lasting.  Life expectancy of the composite structure is at  least  20 years. Composites used in greenhouses outperforms both glass and ther­moplastics in its ability to provide the highest quality, most produc­tive lighting.  It is more resistant to impact a from hail and  other damage like a fallen limb, etc. Unlike rot-prone wood and  rust-prone metal, the composite will not deteriorate from exposure to  the  ele­ments  on  the  outside and the moist greenhouse environment  on the inside.  Glass  fiber reinforced polyester also gives  the  greenhouse high thermal insulation values for excellent temperature control. 

High strength, lightweight glass fiber composite Bath/Shower and  other plumbing components provide  ease of installation and are not affected by hot soapy water. Unlike porcelain and steel, the composite  surface is warm to the touch. Molding with composite, allows for more aesthet­ic shapes, smoother surface finishes, less mildew and easy cleaning.

There are many other exciting developments that may become the wave of the  future in buildings and in civil applications. The Chinese  have built an all-glass composite pedestrian bridge in Beijing. Both in the U.S. and in Europe, composite pre- and post-tensioned concrete rein­forcements are under evaluation and long term feasibility studies  are underway.  Compared to steel, composite reinforcing bars  (rebar)  for concrete are lighter in weight and inherently resist the  destructive effects   of moisture  and  road  salts.   According to   Marshall Industries,Lima, Ohio, USA, compared to epoxy-coated steel rebar,  the new composite rebar has twice the tensile strength at one-fourth  the weight.  In  addition, the composite rebar's co-efficient  of thermal expansio  is closer to concrete than that of steel. Because  the  com­posite has a low dielectric constant, it is suited  for applications  requiring  magnetic transparency. These include  concrete  foundations for  magnetic  resonance imaging (MRI) facilities,  aircraft  compass calibration pads and computer and laser testing facilities.

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There  are  many other developments that may become the  wave of  the future.  The "Voyager" set  the "around-the-world-without-refueling" record  using  a composite structure. This "one  of a  kind"  aircraft brought fresh attention to composites and demonstrated the exiting new potential  for advances in aircraft structure. The Beech Starship  now has  FAA certification. It represents the first all-composite  produc­tion  commercial  aircraft. The "Stealth" aircraft technology  brings attention  to  the radar transparency and  structural  performance  of composites.  The  use of composites will undoubtedly increase  on  all types of military and commercial aircraft.   

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One  of  the major advantages of composites becomes clear as  soon  as offshore  engineers start making their buoyancy calculations.  Future platforms of the floating type will require enough buoyancy to support their own weight and that of all the processing equipment they  carry, and to bear the submerged weight of the risers - pipes rising from the well heads on the sea beds to the platform at the surface.  Composites have  the potential to replace many other steel pipes and `tubulars' used  in  the offshore industry. Applications  in non-critical  load bearing  structures, such as gratings and handrails, have become com­mon-place  and  there are few barriers to use in these  areas.   Pipes above  water, on the platforms themselves, can also be  usefully made for composites.  In the Gulf of Mexico, for example, over 30  kms  of composite  piping  was installed during a recent three-year  period. Using  composite  pipe for the fire drenching system on  one  platform alone, saved a offshore platform, an estimated 72 tonnes in weight.  A Norwegian  research  Institute considers that up to half of  the  many steel  tanks, accumulators and other vessels found  on  the  average platform  could be substituted by composite equivalents weighing 30 % less. When engineers designed, from stratch, a modest facility having the  capability of a present standard Davy monotower platform,  taking full advantage of composites, they found that primary structure weight was  reduced  from the 187 tonnes for the steel platform  to  just  84 tonnes, with fabricated cost being reduced by a quarter. 

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ENGINEERING, INDUSTRIAL & APPLIANCES

The  ability of glass reinforced polyesters to withstand high  temperatures combined with mouldability and easy processability, has led  to its  selection  for use in high heat resistant knobs  for  commercial ovens. 

Composites  are  used for making Tool handles which provide  far  more strength,  quality  and durability than wood at a  lower weight.  The composite handle is also impervious to rotting, warpage and corrosion.  Because  the composite has inherent electrical  insulating  properties and  will  not  absorb moisture like wood, the  handle  provides  more protection against accidental electrical shock.

A  glass fiber reinforced composite is providing strength,  stiffness, impact  resistance and dimensional stability for the housing of  Black and Decker's Hammer Plus, pneumatic drill. Composites find use in Hand held Sander bearing caps by reducing costs over metal caps and with­ standing high speeds, high temperatures and vibration and not relaxing over a period of time. It is also strong enough to prevent cracking.

Power  stations  benefit from using fiberglass cooling  towers   which eliminates  the use of preservative treatment which is normally  asso­ciated  with  wooden structural towers and therefore  eliminates  the possibility  of any preservative potentially leaching into the  ground water. 

Endoscopy  workstation's  major components are being made  from  poly­ester-based sheet and bulk-moulding compounds (SMC/BMC), and  requires limited  secondary  finishing which helps to speed up  production and assembly.  The  multi-function workstation now in daily  use  in  many hospitals  throughout the world, is said to provide a  strong,  mobile and  lightweight trolley, housing a wide variety of endoscopy  instru­ments and  equipment and reduces the number of trolley  variants  and clutter in an endoscopy theatre. 

Helmets made from FRP find favour in recreational sports, firefighters and in military besides other industrial applications.

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICALS & ELECTRONICS

In the electrical and electronics industries, the outstanding electri­cal resistance properties of glass fiber products offer  broad choices for manufacturers of wiring devices, printed circuit boards and satel­lite parabolic antennas.      

The durability, weather ability, structural support and high dielectric strength are primary reasons why more and more composites applications are being developed to meet the stringent demands across every  indus­try segment utilizing electrical/electronic technology.  

Outdoor  lighting fixtures made from FRP are cheaper to make  and  re­quire  less  maintenance than their metal  equivalents.  Although  the fixtures  can  become quite hot, the composite has  a  continuous  use temperature of 155°C safely above the 140°C required.  Other factors  in the  composite's  favour are good dimensional  stability  and  property retention, including stability to ultraviolet (UV) light, when exposed to outdoor conditions. The composite product also saves money. Switch­ing  from die cast aluminum to a composite, manufacturers  can  eliminate  all  machining operations. In additions, the  fixtures  can  be moulded in required colours by pigmenting the resin, which  eliminates the need for further painting.

Large  weight-bearing power transmission towers have been  build  near Los Angeles in U.S. using composite. The result is lower  construction and maintenance costs, minimal environmental impact and smaller  elec­tromagnetic fields.

Electrical Cabinet boxes, Fuse boxes, Miniature Circuit Breakers, Switches, Bus bars,  Insulators,  Electrical Transmission Towers, Light  Poles,   Telecommunication Poles,  Cross-bars, strength members for  Optical  Fiber Cables,  Junction  boxes,  Isolators, Safety  Ladders, Earthing & Discharging rods, Dish antennas,.......

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RECREATIONAL, SPORTING & CONSUMER DURABLES

Composite  bike frames and rims are finding favour with  cycle  racing teams due to  high strength and a fatigue life ten times greater  than that of aluminum  coupled with 25 % weight reduction.

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