TAGS: Sustainability and Bioplastics Thermoplastic Composites Metal Replacement Part Design & Manufacturing
AOC is exhibiting at JEC World 2024, the global tradeshow for composites (Paris Expo Villepinte, March 5-7, 2024).
Using Waste from PCR PET Bottles as Raw Material
For the longest time, customers have been using AOC formulations for making composite parts. These range from bathtubs and shower trays, to sewer repair systems and water transportation networks.
Fossil-based raw materials used for making these formulations may become scarce in the future. Like customers, AOC wants to become more sustainable and reduce joint impact on the environment.
Therefore, AOC is increasingly using waste from post-consumer recycled PET bottles as raw material. AOC is making available to the market a broad range of rPET-based products, covering the majority of composites transformation processes.
At JEC 2024, AOC presents multiple parts made with these products.
Atlac®: Cost-effective Corrosion Resistant Solution
The
Atlac® name is synonymous with corrosion resistant composites. Even before the Atlac® brand was officially registered in the early 1960s , these powerful products were proving their ability to withstand the most challenging chemical environments across a broad range of industries. Composites based on Atlac
® formulations provide longer lasting, more cost-effective solutions than specialized corrosion-resistant metals and alloys in processes where safety and continuity of operations are crucial.
Carbon Fiber SMC: High Performance Delivered at Industrial Scale
Combining the unique Daron
® 8151 with carbon fibers into SMC enables the reliable manufacture of components with superior mechanical strength, low density, E-coat capability and low emissions, while maintaining the design flexibility typical for composites.
In recent years, novel SMC materials based on carbon fiber have become commercially available. These are now applied at full industrial scale to produce ultra-light structural parts that outperform their equivalents in aluminum and steel.
The unique Daron
® technology for use in SMC enables chopped CF molded parts with the mechanical performance of Epoxy Resin CF-SMC to be manufactured with the ease of UPR and Vinyl Ester SMC. The combination with excellent flow behavior during molding, means that the resulting mechanical properties of the parts are truly outstanding (Tensile Modulus at 43 GPa, Tensile Strength over 300 MPa).
Turning Up the Heat with Neomould® 6800 Series
AOC is introducing the new Neomould
® 6800 product series for manufacturing composite tooling. For cost-effective manufacturing of composite components in small to medium sized production series (up to 500-1000 parts per year), composite molds are broadly used across the industry. While they bring the designer the ability to create unique shapes, composite tools also enable the manufacturing of large components like wind turbine blades, boats, and façade panels for buildings.
The Neomould
® 6800 product series are based on VE resins, providing great benefits to toolmakers and composite part fabricators:
-
Excellent surface quality through zero-shrinkage
-
Fast application and through-cure during tool manufacturing in comparison with Epoxy resin tooling systems
-
Longer tool life and excellent reproducibility of surface quality during tool use
-
Tool capability to take higher peak exotherm, higher post-cure temperatures
-
Enables to make great tools at high length with infusion version
-
Easy repair of tool surface in case of eventualities
Committed to Sustainability
AOC has introduced the Next™ Eco-label for better identifying products that help to reduce emission of VOCs, use feedstock from bio-sources or from recycled waste streams. These products are sold by AOC under different brand names, including Atlac
®,
Beyone™, Neoxil
®,
Palatal®, Palapreg
® and
Synolite™.
AOC is setting high standards in Environmental, Social, and Ethical performance, while actively promoting sustainable products and solutions. As a recognition for its performance and the company’s demonstrated commitment to Sustainability, AOC has received a Gold Rating from EcoVadis for its European business in June 2023.
AOC’s rating was in the top 4% percentile of chemical companies, which clearly indicates the company is a front runner in the industry.
AOC is strongly committed to growing the composites industry and to supporting its customers around the world. The company has a large number of manufacturing operations in the Americas, Europe, China and India. This large footprint enables to align manufacturing processes, quality systems and best practices, which should be highly beneficial for customers in all regions.
In December 2020 AOC completed the acquisition of the Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) manufacturing operations in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic). This will allow AOC to further improve service and logistics to its customers in Central/Eastern Europe as well as in Germany, and will make new products available for customers around Europe.
In September 2022, AOC acquired the ownership of Deltech Europe Ltd., and is now operating a UPR manufacturing plant in Haverhill (UK). Deltech has been a long-standing partner for AOC in Europe and has been supplying AOC customers with resins for many years as a toll manufacturer. Therefore, the acquisition was a very logical transition, reinforcing the existing set-up. This investment will allow AOC to further strengthen its ability to serve customers in the growing composites market in the UK.
Source: AOC
