Pultrusion process application areas

The selection of a suitable thermoplastic matrix material mostly depends on the desired mechanical properties and the desired long-term service temperature. Depending on the application area, there are other decision criteria known from thermoset matrix materials, which can be of major interest, for example the chemical resistance or the water absorption properties. In contrast, thermoplastic composites are normally featured with an improved toughness compared to their thermoset competitors. Table 8.2 gives an overview on properties of different common polymers which are used for the pultrusion process. 

To date, the process has penetrated the application areas such as land transport, construction, infrastructure, electrical, marine and offshore, and aerospace. With the introduction of newer technologies, pultrusion can be used to produce nearly any constant cross-sectional shape (Meyer, 1985) such as channels, tubes, beams, bars and many other profiles for handrails, ladders, cable ducts, antennae, rail covers, tent poles, hockey sticks, fishing rods, pipes, slide guides, luggage racks, leaf springs, window frames, farm wagons, bridge sections, roof profiles, etc. 

Creative Pultrusion Inc. use a compression process to manufacture parts of bridges and other products, including cables, plates, Bethlehem beams and wooden panels, and even platform coverings for public transport have been manufactured and tested. A new product has been developed, known as SuperLoc composite plate pier, which has a unique ball-and-stock connection between the panels. The main application areas for this new product are in swimming pools, pedestrian walkways, docks, shipyards, and so on. Another new product is DuraSpan, which is designed for use in fibre-reinforced polymers for bridge construction [32]. 

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