- 6 March 2007 -
Helmet designers use their heads
A GLASS-REINFORCED grade of DuPont™ Zytel® 80G33 polyamide (PA) has been used in a new safety helmet for snow sports. The top shell, the C-shaped ‘strap’ around the head and the two lateral shells of the helmet are made from the material. The impact-absorbing layer on the inside comprises soft expanded polypropylene foam with a fabric lining.
Zytel 80G33 is a PA 66 reinforced with 33% glass fibre, combining high impact-resistance, stiffness and toughness. The polyamide was used in the helmet because its four-part design required a material with better mechanical properties than acrylonite butadiene styrene (ABS) and other plastics used for conventional one-part helmets.
DXL-Protection is the manufacturer of the helmet, which was designed by Pulsium with guidance from DuPont on moulding and other technical aspects.
“Our patented four-part design allows the helmet to fit the head better than a conventional one-part helmet,” says Pascal Joubert des Ouches, director of Pulsium. “Initially we feared the moulding process would produce problems, but trials demonstrated this glass-reinforced resin’s excellent mould-flow properties, even with thin-walled parts as in this helmet,” he adds.
The helmet complies with European and American safety standards for shock absorption. One of the safety tests involved the helmet being secured on a heavy metal test-form before being dropped from a height onto the pointed end of a solid steel anvil. Other features of the helmet include a goggle retainer, integrated ear-covers and adjustable ventilation. Three versions of the helmet will be on sale this autumn in Europe, the United States and Japan.
DuPont; www.dupont.com
DXL-Protection; www.dxl-protection.com
Pulsium; www.pulsium.com
Reinforced Plastics © Copyright 2008, Elsevier Ltd, All rights reserved.