JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #39 - March/April 2008 - 79

ADVERTORIAL melt and prevent the right final product’s manufacturing (as example the accuracy of fiber’s diameter variation is too large). The nonhomogeneous melt affect the flow through the fiber forming bushings because of the unstable hydrostatic pressure, temperature and viscosity of the melt in the fiber-forming zone. Consequently a higher number of the breaks are observed in stretched bundle of virgin fibers gathered in strand. Presence of the iron contents in +2 (ferrous) valence states makes melt very “aggressive” toward production equipment and affect negatively final product’s mechanical properties by decreasing of this elasticity. Therefore, the principal target of ISOMATEX was to work out a manufacturing process allowing the monitoring and neutralizing of iron, which will smooth away all these disadvantages. After stretching the first samples produced following our unique process, we have submitted our products for characterization to the Ghent University in Belgium (Textiles department). The contents of the tests analyses include all required test concerning the main properties of fibers and has been elaborated according the European and American Standards and Norms. “Tailored” production and Customized Fiber Properties. ISOMATEX S.A. does not just have a long tradition in engineering and in research and development … we focus our efforts on new approaches that involve essentially the quality and services and therefore position ourselves to be a small supplier of customized high value product-solutions. Thanks to a fully automated batch preparation plant with very narrow accuracy of Raw Materials selection in the Batch (basalt as major element with only pure minerals) the property of the final product can be easily achieved and adapted to the requirements of pointed out applications. This numerically controlled system allows ISOMATEX to change the batch quickly within a few minutes. Very high level requirements of developments in complex fiber reinforcements especially allocated for lightweight advanced fiberreinforced composite products - can be achieved on-demand with the high precision, custom-made machinery. Adapt the product to specific applications - Coating agent. The right choice of coated sizing agents in fiber forming stage is decisive to enhance the main properties of the stretched filaments. Therefore ISOMATEX works in a very narrow collaboration with High specialized European research Centrum for the continuous evaluation of the relationship between matrixes and fiber-reinforcement for industrial sectors like e.g. Automotive, where the vibration and noise in vehicles are dominants constraints, Aircraft structures, manufacturing where improved strength and stiffness are required and should be continuously performed or Construction in the domain of Concrete’s applications, where a modified sizing is required, which is slightly tacky but became well and quickly impregnated with resin ISOMATEX has established on intensive collaboration network for the exchange of experiences with specialists as mechanical engineers, chemists, or textile and method engineers in the purpose of developing the right material that will fulfill each customer’s specific needs. For any additional or non-traditional applications, we can contribute to the tests and element analysis required for the optimization of your particular process. The aim is to provide the customer with even more single-source service henceforward by pointed skills. Founders of ISOMATEX S.A. would like to give a particular acknowledgement to all people, partners, suppliers and Research Centrums for their collaboration and much appreciated help and inspiration in performed engineering, as well with the large part of the work conducted for this project. For more information: www.isomatex.com ISOMATEX S.A. Scientific Park CREALYS Rue Camille Hubert 29, 5032 Gembloux (Isnes) Tel : +32(0)81.72.86.86 Fax : +32(0)81.72.86.89 Production process and quality oriented Research and Development conducting the full scale manufacturing unit in coming few months Market trends. One of the most recent trends in the Advanced Composites industry for the various market segments is to create new innovative constituent materials and to focus research and development on providing multitask raw materials being use in base of their particular properties aimed to replace existing “Fiberglass” applications. The innovation is one of important means for companies in this field to introducing new products and supposes a perfected knowledge of the existing substitutes. Presently, demand of composite materials products is strong and growing steadily in the infrastructure, construction sectors and automotive industry. Demand for continuous fiber has been steadily increasing as new entrants come into the market and current players develop their operations. More effective fiber reinforcements. Nowadays, fiber properties such as modulus, tenacity, elongation and thermal stability govern the potential use of any kind of fibers. Good mechanical properties and high thermal stability are not the sole requirements imposed to fiber manufacturers. In fact, other properties such as the sizing adherence and surface condition, regularity and homogeneity of the virgin single filaments within a bundle are crucial parameters for yarn quality. Fiber made from Basaltic batch has high stiffness and has excellent chemical resistance properties, thanks to a temperature resistance level up to 700°C in permanent operation is far superior to glass filament, steel fiber, polypropylene fiber and other types of fibers for many applications and as well an useful life. Though, basalt hasn’t make its break through yet on the Fiber reinforcement market. This is mainly explained by the disappointing production of early manufacturers essentially located in post URSS area. Their process is characterized by the usage of Raw materials conveying wide variation of Chemical composition’s which results in inconsistent and unpredictable quality and properties of the final melted products. The undervaluation of Basalt on the fiber reinforcements market was inversely related to the huge domain of application of E-Glass fiber’s combined with its relatively smoothly handled and highly predictable manufacturing process even while its physical properties couldn’t answer the growing requirements and constraints of the Advanced Composites industry. In fact, the greatest mistake was to try to position Basaltic Fibers on the same huge volume market as Fiberglass which has conduct to poor quality & maladjusted pricing. The ISOMATEX approach. ISOMATEX has recognized that manufacturing Basaltic fibers is a very complex, expensive process, which requires constant and careful handling, the effective melting of raw material supposing extremely consistent chemical composition and precise temperature control. This complexity is mainly explained by the basalt composition itself being high-wearing materials with high content of Iron. Composition of basalt (mineral) rock of which various irons’ content (especially as ferrous oxide FeO and ferric oxide Fe2O3) varies depending the extracted mining and makes a melt dark color. Containing lot of iron oxide content is the cause of crystal crust forming on melt’s top layer which increase the homogenization period, reduce the viscosity and bring nearer crystallization temperature to the melting point; the lot iron content raise a very quick hardening of Visit us at JEC exhibition Paris, 01-03 April 2008 Hall 1.2, stand Q53

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #39 - March/April 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #39 - March/April 2008