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Our materials for outstanding composite matrices

Manufacturers are showing a growing interest in biomaterialslightweight materials and the recycling of their products. To address these concerns, Arkema has developed suitable resins and polymers that improve the performance of their composites.

Discover Arkema’s comprehensive range of additives for your composites!

 

The thermoplastic resin Elium®

The thermoplastic resin Elium®, liquid at ambient temperature, is unique on the market and is used to manufacture thermoformable and recyclable thermoplastic composite parts.
They are suitable for traditional processing technologies such as RTM, infusion and FlexMolding™, and therefore allow the production of thermoplastic composites with same equipments than for thermosets.

Discover our innovation in lightweight materials

The composite Kepstan® PEKK 

Kepstan® PEKK often used to replace metal in extreme conditions (offshore, aviation). Thanks to this high performance polyether ketone ketone, the final composite is endowed with superior resistance to violent impact, high temperatures, and highly aggressive chemical agents. Kepstan® now exists in the form of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes.

Learn more about PEKK

The Kynar® UHM™ PVDF resin

The Kynar® UHM™ PVDF thermoplastic resin is used for overmolding or bonding to composite parts. It offers superior mechanical properties, including greater rigidity as well as excellent high temperature and fire resistance. Easy to process, Kynar® PVDF resins feature outstanding UV and chemical resistance.

Access Kynar® UHM™ PVDF properties 

The polyamide Rilsan® PA11 resin

100% biosourced, this high performance polyamide resin, in the form of fine powder or granules, imparts chemical stability, abrasion resistance and impact resistance to composites even at very low temperatures. Rilsan® Matrix grades are used to produce thermoformable and recyclable thermoplastic composites.

Explore  Rilsan® range

The Sartomer® specialty crosslinkers for safer systems

The Sartomer® methacrylate range includes reactive diluents, crosslinkers, and oligomers that enhance the performance of thermoset, thermoplastic resins and bio-composites.
These crosslinkers enhance both the mechanical performance and outdoor durability, while accelerating the crosslinking of composite based materials. The extensive range of reactive diluents allow the formulation of styrene-free and low VOC composites, with an increased bio-content thanks to the Sartomer® bio-based offer.

Additives for tougher composites

Our innovative additives significantly improve the inherent properties of composite materials.

Graphistrength®

Graphistrength® carbon nanotubes significantly improve the mechanical strength of composites. They also prevent the build-up of electric charges in the resulting components. Hence they fulfill the requirements of aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

Clearstrength®

Thanks to its unique and patented technology, and contrary to standard core/shell tougheners, our Clearstrength® XT High Performance Toughening Agents are easily dispersible in most liquid resin systems and exhibit a limited impact on their viscosity while providing an outstanding toughening effect in a wide range of service temperatures.

They are particularly recommended to increase the toughness of high performance thermoset formulations and can be advantageously used to replace conventional core/shell toughener powders but also liquid master batches containing pre-dispersed core/shell particles.

Nanostrength®

The nanostructured acrylic block copolymers Nanostrength® act as additives at the very heart of the material. They help enhance the impact resistance of the matrix with no loss of module or temperature stability. They can be used both in epoxy or vinyl ester composite matrices and in structural adhesives.

Dianol®

The Dianol® product range, diol-based polyether polyols, improves the thermal and chemical stability of polyester resins.

Sartomer® advanced resins

Arkema offers Sartomer® Advanced Resins, incorporating additive technology into its pioneering specialty methacrylate resins. These master-batches of core-shell impact modifier provide ready to use solutions, which enable formulators to achieve high toughness while improving flexibility in composites matrix, structural adhesives and other highly demanding systems.

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Orgasol® polyamide powders

Orgasol® polyamide powders, thermoplastic ultra-fine powders, minimise crack propagation at the fiber-matrix interface in thermoset prepregs. As a result, the final composites are tougher and longer lasting.

Luperox® 

Organic peroxides and BlocBuilder® RC50 reactivity controller

Luperox® organic peroxides are crosslinking agents for unsaturated polyester resins (including foam) that help speed up processing and ensure better control of continuous or semi-continuous processes to produce harder composite resins.
BlocBuilder® RC50 reactivity controllers ensure the efficient performance of organic peroxides by controlling gelling and heat curing more effectively.

Sartomer® photoinitiators

Sartomer® SpeedCure range of photoinitiators enables the polymerization of the matrix during the UV/LED curing step of your hybrid system. Our extensive range is perfectly adapted to answer your needs and adapt to your industrial set-up.

Focus on...The Mini 6.50 Arkema 3 prototype, an expression of innovation

With its Mini 6.50 monohull, Arkema is forging ahead into sailing with renewed energy. This prototype with an innovative design takes up a major challenge: the construction of a boat that is recyclable thanks to Arkema’s latest generation materials.

A floating laboratory teeming with innovations

Building on their experience with the Multi50 trimaran, Arkema and Team Lalou Multi have designed a resolutely high-tech Mini 6.50 class prototype. Those products with a proven track record on the trimaran have been retained, in particular the Bostik methacrylate structural adhesives. 

A new product has also stepped on board, the Elium® recyclable resin. Fresh out of Arkema’s laboratories, it had never been used in this type of manufacture. This full-scale test has enabled the Group to save months of development.

The building of this boat was planned from the outset as a genuine research project.

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Structural adhesives for easy-to-process high-performance assemblies

Structural adhesives play a major role in the assembly of composite parts, either between the parts themselves or with other materials (metal, plastics, aluminum, glass, etc.).

Bostik specific adhesives  

Adhesive sealants: their permanent elasticity allows complex assemblies with no loss of mechanical strength. They can withstand UVs and moisture within a wide temperature range.

SAF® two-component structural adhesives: these methacrylate adhesives combine strong adhesion without the need for a primer on many substrates, very good flexibility thanks to the Nanostrength® block copolymer technology, and adjustable curing times (5 minutes to 2 hours).

Explore Bostik website

Platamid® hotmelt adhesives are plasticizer-free and solvent-free. These thermoplastic copolyamides ensure excellent adhesion, with little product required, on a wide range of substrates: composite materials, textile, metal, leather, plastics. Arkema offers an extensive range of Platamid® adhesives, some of which are biosourced grades, available in the form of powders or granules (for processing into films, webs or filaments). Additionally, they help improve productivity through shorter cycle times and can be reused and recycled.

Access all details on Platamid® hotmelt adhesives

Resources - Composites and lightweight materials

 

Recycling composite materials: what are the possibilities of Elium® thermoplastic resins?

 

Read our article

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