Thermoplastic materials infrastructure

One of the ways a product provides user satisfaction is through feel. This is true not oidy for end-use applications where people come in direct contact with the product, but also for industrial applications. This topic is often overlooked in the plastics industry, and even when there is a direct intent to select a thermoplastic material based on feel, there are few resources available. Most engineers and designers do not understand the fundamental issues involved, and very few companies have the infrastructure needed to support the process. 

Thermosetting epoxy fibre composite materials are widely used for infrastructure rehabilitation and seismic retrofit of concrete members. However, for rehabilitating steel structures, thermoplastic polymers offer significant advantages over thermosetting matrices. When bonded to steel substrates, the toughness of thermoplastic allows the material to strain under applied stresses (thermal or flexural) without compromising the metal/composite bond. 

---