COLOMBES, France — March 5, 2018 — At JEC 2018, March 6-8, 2018, at Paris Villepinte, Arkema will be showcasing its unique offering of innovative advanced materials and cutting-edge solutions to meet growing demand for lightweighting structures in the transportation, wind power, construction and sport sectors. The emphasis will be on our latest developments, with particular focus on the Elium® thermoplastic resins.
Elium®, a choice material for the wind power market
Following the manufacture in 2017 of a 9 meter demonstration wind turbine blade from the Elium thermoplastic resin, a further milestone has now been reached: a 25 meter blade has been manufactured validating the feasibility of producing these components on an industrial scale.
This project aims to fit the oldest wind turbines with new more efficient 2 meter longer blades. “The benefit of using longer blades, without changing the base or the tower of the wind turbine, is that it helps raise energy production by around 15 percent,” said Guillaume Clédat, Elium Product Manager.
Elium, for lightweighting in construction
In partnership with the IRT M2P Technological Research Institute in Metz, Arkema has developed optimized grades of Elium thermoplastic resin for the pultrusion converting process that helps produce glassfiber or carbon fiber reinforced profiles.
These new composite products open up promising prospects in construction, with two target applications in particular:
Concrete reinforcement: used instead of metal rods or thermoset composite rods
Window profiles: the new composites can replace aluminum or PVC or polyester profiles, with their mechanical and insulating properties and their smooth and glossy finish.
Elium, thermoplastic recyclability
In 2017, our R&D teams were heavily involved in developing the recycling process for composite parts made from the Elium resin via depolymerization: the parts are ground down coarsely; the Elium resin is then heat-depolymerized so that it can be recovered and purified into a resin with the same properties as the virgin resin. The remaining carbon or glass fibers can be reused.
Come and meet us on stand V39 to talk to our experts and find out about our extensive Composites offering!
A well-known major player in the composites market, Arkema today offers a comprehensive range of solutions for the manufacture of high quality composite parts.
A designer of materials and innovative solutions, Arkema shapes materials and creates new uses that accelerate customer performance. Our balanced business portfolio spans high-performance materials, industrial specialties and coating solutions. Our globally recognized brands are ranked among the leaders in the markets we serve. Reporting annual sales of €8.3 billion, we employ approximately 20,000 people worldwide and operate in close to 55 countries. We are committed to active engagement with all our stakeholders. Our research centers in North America, France and Asia concentrate on advances in bio-based products, new energies, water management, electronic solutions, lightweight materials and design, home efficiency and insulation.
Posted March 5, 2018
Source: Arkema
