Making plastics stiffer and stronger
Selectively reinforced
thermoplastic composite profiles
Click for more information on the technology, licences, eco-friendliness, and technical information
composite profiles
selectively reinforced profilesthermoplastic
prepregs
Imhotep offer a range of R&D and development services in process and product development, and product design in thermoplastic composite. See our services section for more details on what Imhotep can do for you
for more information on the advantages of a thermoplastic matrix over a conventional thermoset, significance of continuous fibres, information on failure behaviour, and general information on composites
Benefits of selective reinforcement of profiles
Imhotep's novel technology enables us to vary the fibre reinforcement level from zero to about 65% by volume across the profile section. This has a number of benefits:
- A glossy, coloured, protective
polymer coating can be incorporated as part of the profile. As
it is formed at the same time as the rest of the profile it will
not peel off.
- The reinforcement fibres can be placed
in the region where they provide the most mechanical benefit,
with the rest of the profile being formed by the cheaper polymer.
In the figure below the effective stiffness of profiles as given
by the product of Young's modulus,E and the second moment of
area, I is compared for different profile designs.
a) b) c) conventional glassfibre pultruded profile
EI=1
cost =1
density=1selectively reinforced glass/thermoplastic composite
EI=0.95
cost =0.9
density=0.85selectively reinforced carbon/ thermoplastic composite
EI=1
cost =1.25
density=0.63
In the first example (a) the profile is uniformally reinforced with fibres across the profile as produced by conventional pultrusion technology. In the second example (b) the reinforcement is restricted to near the outer edges of the profile where it gives the greatest contribution to the overall stiffness. As can be seen the overall stiffness is very similar even though the reinforcement level is greatly reduced. In the final example (c) the profile is reinforced with carbon fibres which have a much higher modulus, and the level of reinforcement required to give the same effective stiffness is much lower. Even though carbon fibres are more expensive than glass fibres this need not be reflected in the profile cost. It could also provide a further advantage in terms of reduced weight. The potential for many weight sensitive applications in automotive, aerospace, and other sectors is clear.
Profile
options
The same options as for composite profiles in terms of choice of fibre type, polymer- anything from commodity plastics such as polyethylene, thermoplastic elastomers, polystyrene and engineering plastics such as polyamides to high temperature/high performance plastics such as PEEK and PPS apply. As the reinforcement fibres provide the strength Imhotep Ltd can also make use of recycled or reclaimed plastic with negligible effect on product performance. See our environment page for more details. Chemical additives can be incorporated in the plastic, as can pigments. Wires and cables can be placed on-line within the profile. On top of this the continuous reinforcement fibres can be placed at chosen points within the profile either to ensure a glossy protective coating or to make the most efficient use of the fibres.
Profile examples
With current tooling Imhotep can produce strips, rods, and some simple shapes.
key from left to right:
|
|
|
|
Glass/PE coloured composite sheet | Glass/PET composite rod with wire core | PEEK/C composite with + without cable core | PA coated carbon/ aramid composite profile |
Due to the number of options in terms of colour, fibre volume fraction etc no profile can be really labelled as standard. As such Imhotep Ltd carry limited stock and tend to make to order. Don't let that put you off as we do pride ourselves on fast turnaround. Please contact us for more details of profiles and quotes
Imhotep Ltd
Unit 6, Eco Court
Latimer Way
Sherwood Energy Village
New Ollerton
Newark
NG22 9QW
EnglandTel: +44(0)1623 863452
Fax: +44(0)1623 863652
e-mail: enquiries@imhotepcomposites.co.uk©Imhotep Ltd 1997-2005