Belgian fibreglass company, 3B has announced that it has developed the Advantex chopped strand-DS 1120-13P to cater to the general polyamide market. This chopped strand has a diameter of 13 µm and has been produced from Advantex fibre glass.
3B-the fibreglass company introduces a new chopped strand aimed at a wide range of polyamide (PA) resins for general purpose industrial applications.
The Advantex fibre glass is an E-glass as well as E-CR glass, which is in line with ASTM D578 and is highly compatible with polyurethanes. This feature allows it to be used for a broad range of polyamides including PA610, PA12, PA6 and PA66.
The DS 1120-13P chopped strands display high levels of integrity and density, which enables its properties to be dispersed effectively in the polyamide resin matrix. The new grade chopped strand also displays high levels of Dry as Moulded (DAM) properties and is not very sensitive to stearates, which are mould release agents. According to Paul Cazes, who is the leader of thermoplastics at 3B, the DS-1120 13P is particularly useful in applications where resistance to hydrolysis is not required. The new grade chopped strand is also aimed at companies that need a cost-effective, high-performance polyamide reinforcement.
Major areas, in which the new grade chopped strand could be applied are rawl plugs, wheels, bicycle pedals, tracks, cable cleats, hose carrier chains and other consumer and building products. 3B made the announcement of the launch at the Composites Europe and added that the chopped strand will be made commercially available by the end of 2011.