Automotive
Momentive Specialty Chemicals says the combination of its EPIKOTE™ Resin 05475 and EPIKURE™ Curing Agent 05443 enables the infusion of carbon fibre material using industrial-scale high or low pressure resin transfer moulding (RTM) equipment, with a curing time of less than 5 minutes.
“Carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites can deliver weight savings of up to 60% compared to conventional steel designs,” says Nipesh Shah, Vice President, Global Marketing and Business Development of Momentive Specialty Chemicals' Epoxy, Phenolic and Coatings Division.
“Our new system makes switching to epoxy composites for the chassis, semi-structural parts and exterior body more attractive because it makes production faster and more predictable.”
The EPIKOTE Resin 05475/EPIKURE Curing Agent 05443 system is said to feature low viscosity, a relatively long injection window, excellent wetting and adhesion to carbon fibres, and superior thermal and mechanical performance.
New development centre
Momentive also announced the opening of its Transportation Research and Application Center (TRAC) in Duisburg, Germany.
TRAC researchers will develop and test custom lightweight structural composite solutions for clients in the automotive, aerospace and mass transportation markets. The laboratory will complement existing Momentive R&D facilities worldwide.
The TRAC is sited at Momentive Specialty Chemicals’ Duisburg plant, which is already an epoxy production and R&D facility which develops new formulations for a range of end uses.
The new lab will house a state-of-the art dosing/injection unit and press from Cannon, specifically engineered for the rapid production of small-batch epoxy composite test components conforming to a wide array of process and customer conditions.
| Our team at Momentive will work on a whole range of composite production technologies, such as high pressure RTM, low pressure RTM and compression moulding processes. We believe that both material and production technology, hand in hand, will help us drive the upsurge of composites in the automotive industry. |
| Roman Hillermeier, Technology Leader for Transportation, Momentive |
“Cannon’s Epoxy Structural Reaction Injection Molding (ESTRIM) high-productivity resin injection equipment allows us to apply our materials under realistic customer processing conditions," explains Roman Hillermeier, Technology Leader for Transportation. "We expect combined product and application development like this to drive future innovation."
“TRAC will extend our capabilities and help us build partnerships with co-suppliers and customers, as this is key to the successful development of structural composite solutions for mass production in the automotive industry," Nipesh Shah adds.
In addition to application development activities, the centre will still support Momentive Specialty Chemicals’ existing R&D and growth initiatives supporting the automotive, aerospace and mass transportation segments.
Wind turbine blade manufacture
The company unveiled four new products for the manufacture of wind turbine blades at JEC.
EPIKOTE™ MGS® RIMR 145 is an epoxy resin infusion system that Momentive claims "can be used to infuse carbon fibres as if they were glass," allowing manufacturers to skip time-consuming prepreg processing.
The low exothermic EPIKOTE MGS RIM145 maintains a low viscosity longer, making the manufacture of stronger, lighter carbon fibre composites (even thick ones) more convenient and cost-effective. Furthermore, the resin itself is significantly stronger than the industry standard, and it can be used with glass fibre as well.
EPIKOTE MGS RIMR 155 is a new, low-exothermic resin system designed for the control of heat development within a composite during the infusion of very thick structures. This system allows for quicker turnaround, correct curing and improved mechanical performance.
EPIKOTE MGS RIMR 9000 is a low viscosity epoxy tooling system with a long pot life. Once cured and ready to use, a mould made with EPIKOTE MGS RIMR 9000 has a higher glass transition temperature than other tooling systems and will be able to withstand the temperatures recommended for use with products such as EPIKOTE MGS RIMR 145.
EPIKOTE MGS BPR 435, Momentive Specialty Chemicals’ new bonding paste, has four times the fatigue performance of the company's previous benchmark, BPR 135G3. BPR 435’s improved rheology and faster cure rate decrease blade cycle time, while its lower density reduces blade weight and cost.
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Based in Columbus, Ohio, Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc (formerly known as Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc) produces thermoset resins, serving the global wood and industrial markets. Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC is the parent company of Momentive Performance Materials Inc and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. Momentive was formed in October 2010 through the combination of entities that indirectly owned Momentive Performance Materials Inc and Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc. The capital structures and legal entity structures of both Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc (formerly known as Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc), and their respective subsidiaries and direct parent companies, remain separate. Momentive is controlled by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management LLC. |
Momentive Specialty Chemicals reports that its latest wind energy infusion and tooling resin offerings make the production of carbon fibre reinforced components, even thick ones such as spar caps, more practical and less costly. The new strong, durable bonding paste supports the assembly and long-term use of very large wind turbines. Together, these products open new doors for the design and manufacture of longer, lighter, less expensive rotor blades. ♦
