Technical Fibre Products will be exhibiting the company’s advanced nonwovens at the Composites Engineering Show, part of the Advanced Engineering UK group of events, which will be held at the Birmingham NEC from 4-5 November.

On display will be materials from TFP’s Optiveil, Optimat and Tecnofire ranges, specifically designed for use in composites. These materials, which constitute the lightest weight and broadest range of wetlaid nonwovens in the world, can fulfil a number of functions in a composite structure, according to the manufacturer.

Functions

The materials are said to enable a high quality, resin rich surface finish, impart surface functionality such as EMI shielding, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, electrical conductivity and static dissipation, and act as a resin flow medium to provide enhanced resin transportation in both inter-laminar and surface regions. Optiveil and Optimat remove the need to use additional flow media and ultimately lower resin usage and scrap, the company reports.

Other functions also include preventing galvanic corrosion – TFP’s dielectric nonwovens act as an electrically isolating layer between dissimilar conductive materials to prevent the electrochemical reaction that causes galvanic corrosion.

The materials are also designed to provide a lightweight, effective carrier or support for adhesive films, ensuring a defined and consistent film thickness whilst improving handling and resilience. According to TFP, they also deliver highly effective passive fire protection at the surface of a composite without compromising the integrity of the structure.

Extended range

TFP’s new, extended range of high performance thermoplastic veils, including PPS, PEI, PEEK, polyamide and polyimide, will also be available at the exhibition.

These materials have been developed specifically to significantly improve the interlaminar toughness of a composite structure, increasing resistance to both mode-I and mode-II fracture with minimal modifications to the manufacturing process necessary.

www.tfpglobal.com