Phenolics reinforced plastics

Ablative A material which absorbs heat, while part of it is being consumed by heat, through a decomposition process which takes place near the surface exposed to the heat. An example is a carbon fiber-phenolic reinforced plastic that is exposed to a temperature of 1650C (3000F) it is the surface material on a reentry into the earth s atmosphere from outer space of a rocket, space vehicle, etc. 

Important thermosetting plastics include the phenolics, melamine-formaldehyde, epoxides and polyester resins used in glass-reinforced plastics. (See also Sections 14.5 and 14.9.)... 

Glass fibres dominate this field either as long continuous fibres (several centimetres long), which are hand-laid with the thermoset precursors, e.g., phenolics, epoxy, polyester, styrenics, and finally cured (often called fibre glass reinforcement plastic or polymer (FRP)). With thermoplastic polymers, e.g., PP, short fibres (less than 1 mm) are used. During processing with an extruder, these short fibres orient in the extrusion/draw direction giving anisotropic behaviour (properties perpendicular to the fibre direction are weaker). 

Common to all reinforced plastics are two ingredients, resin and reinforcement. Resin is an oiganic material, usually of high molecular weight, that can be molded and set into a final shape. Resins are of two basic types. Thermoplastic resins soften upon heating, are shaped in a mold, and retain that shape when cooled. Common examples are nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polycarbonate. Thermosetting resins are placed in a mold and cured by the use of a catalyst, heat, or both, until they harden in the shape of the mold. Common examples are polyester, vinyl ester, epoxies, phenolics, and p olyure thanes. 

Pultrusion [PHENOLIC RESINS] (Vol 18) [PLASTIC PROCESSING] (Vol 19) [REINFORCED PLASTICS] (Vol 21) [COMPOSITEMATERIALS - SURVEY] (Vol 7) resin properties required for [COMPOSITE MATERIALS - POLYMER-MATRIX - THERMOSETS] (Vol 7)... 

The methods used to increase the water resistance of a glass microsphere foam are basically those applied to glass-reinforced plastics, filled thermoplasts, and elastomers, viz. hydrophobic adhesion compounds are added to binder and microsphere dressing 147). The compounds added are alkyl alkoxysilane derivatives, amino or epoxy alkoxysilanes for epoxy and phenolic resins, vinyl or methacryloxy alkoxysilanes for polyester resins. The dressing agents used are aminoethoxysilanes (y-aminopropyl-... 

A new approach was proposed for making effective helmets which could replace the former British army steel helmet. Essentially the new helmet used modified phenolic resins reinforced with nylon, and the crown cap inside was thermoformed from polyethylene. Formerly the crown cap was attached to the steel by rivets—not an appropriate method for fixing polyethylene to reinforced plastics. Instead a method was developed with a hot-melt adhesive based on ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers cast as film on release paper. For assembly, the cast film is cut in advance to match the intricate shape required and activated by heat to bond under light pressure subsequently, a further heat activation is employed to fix the crown cap in place (Figure 52 illustrates this). 

Fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) are widely utilized now for a number of cryogenic applications. The matrices used are generally thermosetting resins such as epoxies, polyesters and phenolics, since they are easy to apply in impregnating processes. 

The resin matrix can be either thermosetting or thermoplastic. Thermosetting resins such as epoxy, polyimide, polyester, and phenolic are used in applications where physical properties are important. Polyester and epoxy composites make up the bulk of the thermoset composite market. Of these two, polyesters dominate by far. Reinforced with glass fiber, these are known as fiberglass-reinforced plastics (FRPs). FRPs are molded by layup and spray-up methods or by compression molding either a preform or sheet molding compound (SMC). 

A further difficulty with the basic materials is that they do not lend themselves readily to simple concepts and to simple comparisons. The matrix components are essentially the same plastics as those used for conventional reinforced plastic laminates. Epoxy plastics are more widely used than others, although phenolics and silicones give structures with higher temperature properties. Thermoset polyesters are used for many commercial structures in which cost is a problem and high temperatures do not prevail. 

The combination of an adhesive and adherend is a laminate. Commercial laminates are produced on a large scale with wood as the adherend and phenolic, urea, epoxy, resorcinol, or polyester resins as the adhesives. Many wood laminates are called plywood. Laminates of paper or textile include items under the trade names of Formica and Micarta. Laminates of phenolic, nylon, or silicone resins with cotton, asbestos, paper, or glass textile are used as mechanical, electrical, and general purpose structural materials. Composites of fibrous glass, mat or sheet, and epoxy or polyester resins are widely employed as reinforced plastic (FRP) structures. 

This chapter will deal with the chemistry and applications of epoxies, phenolics, urethanes, and a variety of current vogue high-temperature polymers. Applications in fiber-reinforced plastics will be discussed in the individual sections on resin chemistry where appropriate. Separate sections will deal with adhesives and sealants. Adhesives are most important because, as early history demonstrates, they led the way to the application of resins in aerospace. A section is also included on silicone and polysulfide sealants. Although these materials are elastomers rather than resins, no discussion of aerospace polymers would be complete without some mention. Some major thermosetting polymers have been omitted from this review. Among these are the unsaturated polyesters, melamines, ureas, and the vinyl esters. Although these products do find their way into aerospace applications, the uses are so small that a detailed discussion is not warranted. 

Overlays for plywood deserves mentioning. Overlays for plywood may be anything that conceivably can stick to the panel and have end use utility. Overlays include polyester or phenolic impregnated paper (either medium or high density types), fiberglass-reinforced plastic, fabric, high pressure laminates, aluminum, lead, polyurethane insulation and pebbles. The uses for plywood are extensive and marriage with other overlay materials expand these uses tremendously. 

Reinforced plastics are composites in which a resin is combined with a reinforcing agent to improve one or more properties of the resin matrix. The resin may be either thermosetting or thermoplastic. Typical thermosetting resins used in RPs include unsaturated polyester, epoxy, phenolic, melamine, silicone, alkyd, and diallyl phthalate. In the field of reinforced thermoplastics (RTFs), virtually every type of thermoplastic material can be, and has been, reinforced and commercially molded. The more popular grades include nylon, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyporpylene, polyethylene, acetal, PVC, ABS, styrene-acrylonitrile, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, and thermoplastic polyesters. 

Intrinsically non-flammable polymers are few, but phenolic resins have a good reputation both in Are and smoke performance, which has resulted in their becoming increasingly favoured for reinforced plastics structures, for example, underground transport, where such concerns are greatest. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is also a low fire and smoke polymer. Unsaturated polyesters, vinyl esters and epoxy resins bum readily, but modified versions are available with improved behaviour. For example, both bromine and chlorine are used extensively in the form of chlorendic (HET) acid, tetrachlorophthalic anhydride (TCPA) and tetrabromo-phthalic anhydride (TBPA) which can be reacted into the polyester in small quantities and can act as permanent (non-migrating) flame retardants. 

Excellent mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced plastics (epoxy, PUR, phenolics) are... 

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