Momentive Specialty Chemicals, the company catering to automotive applications globally with its curing agents and epoxy resins, is showcasing its new reactive, powder preform binder at the ACCE 2012 Composites Show taking place at Troy in Michigan from September 11 to 13.
The new binder referred to as the EPIKOTE Binder System 620 is suitable for carbon fiber epoxy composites. The product helps preserve the dimensional stability of preform under conditions of high pressure RTM characteristic of automotive processes.
The binder which is in powder form can be easily applied to glass and carbon fibers. The softening temperature range for this binder is 80 °C to 90 °C. Once softened, the binder will attach to the carbon or glass fibers. However, the binding will not affect the fabric’s ability to be draped or processed further. Subsequent to molding the preform to the desired shape, the structure can be subject to short curing at a temperature of 120 °C. This process will trigger the binder to begin an internal cross linking. The fixation process at high temperature guarantees retention of the shape of the preform during succeeding process steps involving resin injection. Dr. Roman Hillermeier, Global Technology Leader for Transportation Business at Momentive Specialty Chemicals stated that the Binder System 620 complements the company’s novel quick-cure EPIKOTE or EPIKURE systems developed for the automotive composites segment and mitigates fiber distortion risk during the resin injection process.
The Columbus, Ohio-based Momentive Specialty Chemicals is the indirect subsidiary of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings and was formerly called Hexion Specialty Chemicals.