Transparent Composites
Transparent Composites
(OP)
Hi,
Does anyone know of a clear / transparent structural resin system that I can cast or infuse? It needs to have a fairly low viscosity, and preferably be room temp. cure. (with the ability to post cure up the Tg)
Thanks in advance for your help
Does anyone know of a clear / transparent structural resin system that I can cast or infuse? It needs to have a fairly low viscosity, and preferably be room temp. cure. (with the ability to post cure up the Tg)
Thanks in advance for your help





RE: Transparent Composites
Talk to Pilkington Aerospace
Eckersall Road, Birmingham, England
jedi-knight@fsmail.net
RE: Transparent Composites
Radiation, better known as 'Ultra Violet Light' )
Contact Akzo-Nobel, or Fibatech Industries of Holland,
or Global Solutions Ltd in Scotland.
Hope this helps.
RE: Transparent Composites
good luck
/SS/
RE: Transparent Composites
Let's talk about the reinforcement material first. For this case i don't think you can use continuous fiber. Maybe you can try chopped/cropped fiber or fiber in sand or grain form.
As for the resin wise, epoxy is a translucent white if you can manage to find a clear hardener you might get a transparent resin. I have try using Ancammine as the hardener (light brown in color) and the result resin system is slightly transparent. However your final product should have a small thickness.
The viscosity of the resin is usually a function of temperature hence you can varies the temperature until your desired viscosity and epoxy resin have no problem curing at room temperature but the properties of composites cure in air cannot be compared to one cure at an elvated temperature. I am not that sure about the Tg.
Please also take note that air bubbles or void content is part and parcel of composites material. Unless you have very close control of the resin you will get a composites with a high void content which may not be very pleasant to look at if your composites is transparent.
RE: Transparent Composites
I posted a photo on my website of a glass fibre / epoxy beam that I made recently. It contains 50+% fibre volume.
http://www.sml.lr.tudelft.nl/~home/rob/clearbeam.jpg
Rob de Bie
RE: Transparent Composites
Or heat sealing glass between 2 thin layers of actate, and part scintered/compressed under mechanical pressure?