A lightweight rail passenger seat support made from a fire-resistant bio-resin prepreg has been nominated as a finalist in the land transportation category of the 2019 JEC World Awards.
The seat support was designed and manufactured by Italy-based Bercella using Evopreg PFC prepreg supplied by Composites Evolution, who says that it was chosen due to its improved fire performance, low toxicity and environmental credentials. The base resin is 100% bio-derived and is safer and more sustainable than traditional phenolic, the company adds.
The seat support, which is 1 m long and weighs less than 5 kg, has passed a range of tests including static loadings and fatigue cycling. It has also met Hazard Level (HL) 3, of rail fire standard EN 45545.
The award winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony during the JEC World exhibition in Paris on 13 March 2019.
This story is adapted from material from Composites Evolution, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
