Archive for June, 2009

The purpose of the resin system is to transfer load from fibre to fibre, and also to carry the load from the fibre composite to an insert, edge member or fitting. (more…)

Aromatic polyamides (polyparaphenylene terephthalamide) as reinforcing fibres are characterised by very high tensile strength and modulus, low density and good heat resistance. In composite form they outperform glass fibres on these properties when compared on an equal volume-fraction-of-reinforcement basis. Compressive strength, however, is much lower for aramid reinforced composites. Machining (sawing, drilling, grinding) of aramid reinforced composites required special tools and adjustment of machining conditions. Since aramid fibres absorb moisture, they should be dried prior to processing with resins. (more…)

Carbon fibres are produced by thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) of organic fibre materials. Starting materials for the production of carbon fibres are organic fibre materials. These precursor yarns are either rayon or polyacrylonitrile (PAN). PAN has a higher carbon yield and is easier to transfer into a high grade carbon fibre. (more…)

The name “glass” refers to a group of materials which are basically undercooled liquids. Glass consists of various oxides which melt to form eutectics. When the molten glass is quickly cooled to room temperature it will turn into a clear rigid solid. This glassy state, unlike the solid state and the fluid state is not thermodynamically stable, but transition rates are so slow that glass is, for all practical purposes, a stable solid material. (more…)

Aerontec was formed in order to be a distributor of composite materials and technology here in South Africa. The company was started in February 2002.

Aerontec is situated in Claremont, Cape Town, with a door-to-door road service to anywhere in South Africa.

“Composite” is a general term meaning an assembly of various and or dissimilar materials used in conjunction with each other to enable them to do a job or task that the individual materials cannot do by themselves. Reinforced concrete is a composite. Wood is a composite.

“Advanced Composites” normally refers to that group of composite materials usually associated with military of aerospace structures and using more advanced materials and the associated technology.

Composites normally consist of the following, but not limited to these:

• Resin Matrix. Eg. Epoxy; vinyl-ester; polyester; phenolic and polycyanate resin systems.
• Fibrous Reinforcement. Eg. Fibreglass; Carbon fibre; Aramid fibre; Spectra fibre; Graphite fibre; Ceramic fibre; Metal fibre; Polyethylene; and combinations of these.
• Fillers. Eg. Hollow glass microballoons; fibrous fillers; fire-retardant fillers; pigments; thickening agents; calcium carbonate; etc.
• Core Materials. Eg. Honeycombs; balsa wood; foams; mats; syntactic foams; etc.

The term “reinforced” normally means that some or most of the mechanical properties of a normally homogeneous material are enhanced by means of certain fibres or similar material. To be able to reinforce the other material, the reinforcing fibres should have the following properties:

• A much higher modulus of elasticity than the plastic material to be reinforced.
• A higher tensile (yield) strength.
• Be in a suitable form to be combined with the plastic material.
• Render the best possible adhesion with the matrix system.
• Be resistant to the plastic and or other chemical constituents present in the compound.