- 21 August 2007 -
Composite car gears up for World Solar Challenge
DSM COMPOSITE Resins is vying for success at this year’s Panasonic World Solar Challenge, as materials sponsor of the Delft University of Technology team.
The Delft team is looking for a fourth successive victory in the biennial competition that requires competitors to race across Australia in vehicles powered by the sun. The company is providing materials, support and advice in the design and production of a solar-powered car, Nuna4, which can endure the temperature extremes of the trans-Australian race.
Turane resin technology is used in the construction of the 200 kg Nuna4. Turane stands for thermosetting urethanes and is a new family of thermoset materials. They are said to have the structural performance of epoxy resins but with faster processing characteristics. The resins were developed for advanced composite applications such as aerospace, automotive and wind turbine blades, which require high strength coupled with low weight but with the need for fast processing characteristics. Vacuum infusion was used to produce the two halves of the body shell and wheel casings, with turane resins impregnating a reinforcement pack that incorporated woven carbon fibre. According to the company, the cure chemistry of turane resins gives a cure profile from slow to very fast making it ideal for fully controllable vacuum resin infusion.
This year’s Panasonic World Solar Challenge will start on 21 October 2007 in Darwin, Australia, and is scheduled to finish around 26 October in Adelaide. The 3000 km race attracts over 40 competitors, who race down the trans-continental Stuart Highway at speeds over 100 kph.
DSM Composite Resins; www.dsm.com
Panasonic World Solar Challenge; www.wsc.org.au
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