Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015
U.S. NRL licenses innovative new polymer resin
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Chemistry Division and Technology Trans-
fer Office has approved the commercial
manufacturing of an PEEK-like phthaloni-
trile (PN) resin composition, developed by
the laboratory.
Phthalonitrile-based polymers are high
temperature thermosets that remain strong
at temperatures up to 500 8C and can be
processed into shaped fiber reinforced com-
posite components using non-autoclave
techniques.
‘The many attractive features of the
second-generation polyetheretherketone
PEEK-like phthalonitriles make these resins
excellent candidates for numerous military
and domestic applications,’ said Teddy
Keller, head of NRL Advanced Materials
Section, who invented the material along
with Matthew Laskoski, and Andrew P.
Saab. ‘The NRL-developed phthalonitrile-
based polymeric composites exhibit super-
ior flame resistant, high temperature, and
low water absorption properties that do not
exist in the current marketplace.’
The resin can be used to make components
using resin transfer molding (RTM), resin
Progressive cavity pump for resin dosing
UK Flowtechnik has launched a new small-
scale progressive cavity pump designed spe-
cifically to enable the precise dosing of
fluids and pastes proportionate to the rota-
tional speed.
The VISCO.pump, made by Beinlich
Pumps, can be used for dispensing polyure-
thane (PU) and can accurately dispense
liquids and pastes with up to 60% filler
content. The dosing quantity can be set
World’s first green CMM laser-line scanner suitable for carbon fiber parts
Perceptron, Inc, a manufacturer of laser
scanners, has introduced what it says
is the world’s first green laser-line uni-
versal CMM scanner for highly reflec-
tive materials such as carbon fiber
composites.
Solvay plastics now approved by NSF
Solvay Specialty Polymers says that the US
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has
certified six Amodel polyphthalamide (PPA)
glass fiber reinforced (GFR) resin grades
infusion molding (RIM), filament winding,
prepreg consolidation, and potentially using
automated composite manufacturing techni-
ques such as automated tape laying and
automated fiber placement.
Military applications
The material is reported to have dielectric
permittivity and loss tangent characteristics
for potential high temperature radomes and
other applications requiring radiofre-
quency transparency. The viscosity of the
curing PN composition can be controlled as
a function of the curing additive and tem-
perature and the B-staged prepolymer inter-
mediate can be stored indefinitely under
ambient conditions until ready to convert
to the thermoset polymer or to use in the
fabrication of a composite component.
Due to their low water absorption, pro-
cessing temperatures comparable to com-
mon epoxy resins, and improved thermo-
oxidative stability at temperatures in excess
of 3758C, the polymers are suitable for
applications such as lightweight automo-
biles, ships, oil rigs, aircraft, wind blades,
high temperature bearings, valves, battery
The VISCO.pump, made by Beinlich Pumps, can
be used for dispensing polyurethane (PU).
to be absolutely linear, with a dosing accu-
racy and repeatability of 1 per cent or less.
The new scanner has an improved
dynamic range with a wider coverage of
color spectrum and reflectivity, improved
material coverage, increased accuracy with
a thinner laser line with higher signal to
noise ratio, improved edge detection,
under its NSF/ANSI 51 standard for food
equipment materials.
This makes Solvay materials suitable for
the manufacture of commercial food ser-
TECHNOLOGY
and electronic casings, fire resistant textiles,
robotic and autonomous firefighting on
ships, ammunition casings and storage
containers, and fire-resistant building
materials.
Shelf life
It is also possible to melt the resin and to
control its initial cure to the shaped solid
below 2008C. This permits the phthaloni-
TECHNOLOGY
triles to be processed in the same way as
ordinary commercial resins, using standard
industrial composite manufacturing
methods.
The PEEK-like phthalonitrile is a liquid
above 708C and polymerizes to a thermoset
occurring above 1508C. The rate of poly-
merization is controlled as a function of
temperature and the amount of curing ad-
ditive, and the fully cured phthalonitrile
polymer does not melt or soften when
post-cured to temperatures greater than
3758C. NRL’s phthalonitrile resins/prepoly-
mers or resin prepregs have an indefinite
shelf life without the need for refrigeration.
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory ; www.nrl.
navy.mil
The new technology is based on the
volumetric principle of an endless or in-
finite piston where the rotor and stator
components form a sealed metering
chamber. The eccentric movement of
the rotor allows for a low-shear motion
of the medium from one chamber to
the next chamber without damage to the
media.
UK Flowtechnik; www.ukflowtechnik.com
adjustable data acquisition rate for HQ
(high quality) and HS (high speed) operation
and larger field of view and depth of view.
ScanR can be integrated into Perceptron’s
TouchDMIS metrology software.
Perceptron; www.perceptron.com
vice equipment for aviation and rail trans-
port, as well as hotel, catering and domestic
applications. Target applications can also
include boilers, beverage dispensers, water
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