This year at China Composites Expo, Technical Fibre Products (TFP) will be introducing a new lightweight basalt veil in its Optiveil range, designed for high temperature performance in composites, as well as highlighting new developments with its range of Tecnofire fire protection materials.

The new basalt veil has been developed as a more temperature stable alternative to TFP’s standard E & ECR glass veils. It is stable up to 850°C and retains its integrity when in contact with an open flame, making it suitable for applications requiring a fire barrier. Basalt, like glass, also has a high resistance to acid and alkali, which makes it ideal for use in corrosive environments, TFP explains.

As well as increased temperature stability this new material also offers the uniformity and surface quality synonymous with TFP’s Optiveil and Optimat ranges, which include carbon, glass, metal coated, aramid, recycled carbon and thermoplastic nonwovens. This quality of dispersion makes the materials suitable for a wide range of composite applications including surface finish, improving resin flow, adhesive carriers and imparting functionality where required, in this case high temperature stability, TFP adds.

“Also, on the TFP stand will be our Tecnofire range of lightweight intumescent fire protection materials,” says TFP Marketing Manager, Rosemary James. “The materials work by expanding up to 35 times their original thickness when exposed to heat, protecting the underlying structure from heat energy. The popular range is used extensively in a broad range of applications and has been specified for use in bridges, fire doors, buses, trains, trams and structural panels (to name but a few) following successful fire testing. TFP offer specially developed resin infusible grades for incorporation at the surface of a composite to provide effective fire protection where it is required, without compromising structural integrity. A good example of this is our E20MI Mat; it has recently been demonstrated that this product can be used with a non- fire, smoke and toxic fume performance rated prepreg to produce a composite structure that passes fire tests which are part of the EN45545 standard with a HL2 R1 rating, a key criteria for rail components.”

“To find out more about TFP’s materials and these new developments speak to our representatives BluDot Asia on TFP’s stand A417 in hall 1 at the show,” Rosemary concludes.

www.tfpglobal.com