ILIUM COMPOSITES ULTIMAT RANGE INTRODUCES RECYCLED POLYESTER LAYERS FOR CHOPPED FIBERGLASS APPLICATIONS
Ilium Composites, the global manufacturer of fiberglass structural composite reinforcements, has continued throughout the year to add to its range of chopped strand mats (CSM) under the ULTImat brand. The CSM range is composed of a synthetic core layered between chopped fiberglass and incorporating a synthetic integrated veil. The ULTImat range offers unprecedented protection against osmosis and chemical erosion for maritime and other relevant constructions, while delivering smooth surface finishes at a lower cost.
Ilium Composites has made the switch to using 50% recycled polyester for its ULTImat Standard product without compromising on price or build quality. The team hope to advance their manufacture for 100% recycled polyester utilization within the next 3 years.
What once required numerous processes and larger expenses, the ULTImat range can now be manufactured quicker with improved laminate quality. Supplied with polyester flow media, ULTImat benefits from improved cyclic loading and increased inter-laminar shear strength by approximately 5%. Performance is improved with superior compatibility with polyester resins and better fire retardancy.
The benefits can be optimized through recommended closed mold processes, including light resin transfer molding (LRTM) and vacuum infusion. This applies to the complete ULTImat suite:
- Standard – 50% recycled polyester flow media with standard surface veil.
- Superior Finish (SF) – Increased surface finish with higher weighted surface veil.
- High Flow (HF) – Flow media for faster resin flow.
- Combi – Increased integrity with continuous woven roving or multiaxial reinforcement.
- (PP) – Polypropylene flow media instead of polyester.
“In the next three years, we plan to incorporate 100% recycled polyester into our ULTImat Standard product. Ilium is constantly striving to lower the carbon footprint of composite manufacture while improving the efficiency and benefits of CSM application,” said Colin Leatham-Locke, Business Development Manager at Ilium Composites. “Our chopped strand mats are stitch free without chemical binders, which improves visual appearance. They can also be cut efficiently with clean edges without fray or overlapping of composite material.”
