Alcoa and DuPont Develop New Hurricane-Resistant Panels

Alcoa and DuPont have collaborated to develop a new product for the commercial building and construction market that provides protection against the damage of hurricane wind-borne debris.

The two corporate leaders have joined forces to introduce an innovative new product that incorporates both companies' science and technical expertise in high-strength materials technology. Called Reynobond with Kevlar, it is a durable architectural panel system designed to withstand wind-borne debris and wind speeds common in hurricanes up to a Category 3 storm. (Category 3 hurricanes have wind speeds up to 130 mph). Reynobond made with Kevlar brand fiber acts as a safety net by helping to protect the facades of buildings from hurricane-propelled debris, frequently the main cause of hurricane damage.

Reynobond with Kevlar combines the weight and flexibility benefits of Alcoa's Reynobond aluminum composite material with the impact-resistant strength of DuPont Kevlar fiber. "Partnering with DuPont provided Alcoa the opportunity to enhance our lightweight, widely used Reynobond aluminum composite material to a new level of usage by inserting DuPont's ultra strong Kevlar fabric into the architectural panel," said Eric Bassel, President of Alcoa Architectural Products.

http://www.alcoa.com and http://www.dupont.com