Many industries are pushing the limit of existing materials and are looking for alternatives with better performance-in use and manufactured through green processes.
The French company has specialised in the development of high-performance materials with exceptional mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance for use in extreme service temperatures (cold/heat). The materials are formulated using a novel catalyst system and a family of olefinic monomers leading to a poly-dicyclopentadine (P-DCPD) based material, having mechanical properties similar to those of engineered thermoplastics.
These materials have unique resistance to a wide range of corrosive chemicals and hydrolysis and have an excellent behavior in hot and wet environments. They present polymerisation capabilities in presence of fibers and fillers (glass and carbon fibers, glass microspheres, ceramics etc.) and even under water. They offer attractive electric and dielectric properties.
The SME proposes materials with a simple, cost-effective and off-the-shelf processing equipment: low pressure and temperatures, no inerting necessary, 2 to 6-minute part-to-part cycle time and requires low-cost molds (cast or machined aluminum). They have adjustable gel-time (from a few minutes to several hours). They are compatible with most composite processes: infusion, pultrusion, filament winding, resin transfer molding (RTM), fast-RTM, vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or others.
The new materials allow to perform better than most of the existing thermoset resins such as epoxy, polyester, vinylester or polyurethane. They are for use in industry (automotive, energy, aerospace, composites etc.) in classic cases or harsh environment applications.
The French company is willing to cooperate with industrial partners under commercial agreements with technical assistance or technical cooperation agreements.
Advantages & innovations
These new materials represent an ideal alternative to conventional resins such as epoxies, polyesters or polyurethanes.
The materials are simple to process and with low capital expenditure. Moreover, their straight and simple synthesis pathways enable carbon footprint savings of at least 47% compared with epoxy, for instance.
Their exceptional toughness, strength, hardness and durability stand out in extreme conditions (cold, hot, corrosive…), covering a wide range of applications, from renewables and deep offshore energy, to off-highway vehicles and aeronautics.
On top of the above described mechanical and thermal properties, the materials feature:
•Very low water intake
•Easiness to machine and drill
•No size or thickness limitations
•Low density (1.03)
Stage of development
Already on the market
Partner sought
Industrial partners in sector of energy, performance composites, automotive, aerospace... in need of tough materials or requiring low-cost solutions for large to very large parts (4 to 700kg+).
The French company is open to engage in different kinds of cooperation models with the partner:
- commercial agreement with technical assistance (process, application development…)
- technical cooperation agreement to further develop the polymer family for new or specific fields