A new ultra high performance composites resin, Crestapol 1234 is the latest innovation to come out of Scott Bader’s R & D Centre in the UK
The chemists at the R&D centre based in Wollaston, UK believe that they have developed a next generation thermoset resin which can outperform existing thermoplastics and thermoset materials available on the market.
Scott Bader initially approached a number of independent materials test houses, who were unable to accurately measure the heat deflection temperature (HDT) and the thermal decomposition temperature of Crestapol 1234; conventional test equipment for composites resins couldn’t measure values above 300 deg C and the performance of Crestapol 1234 was found to go beyond this maximum test measurement range.
Tests were finally carried out by two different accredited test houses. The HDT testing was carried out by Intertek Plastics Technology Laboratories, Massachusetts, USA, who measured the HDT of Crestapol 1234 to be in excess of 300 deg C. The thermal decomposition temperature was measured by Gearing Scientific, Cambridge, UK, who recorded the thermal decomposition temperature for Crestapol 1234 at 330 deg C in air and 340 deg C in inert gas. Post curing at temperatures above the resins standard 200 deg C post cure temperature does not affect the decomposition temperature.
Crestapol 1234 resin is being commercialised with a range of viscosities suitable for manufacturing filled and reinforced composites parts by hand lay-up or closed moulding, with a gel time (2G:2LPT @ 25 deg C ) of 16 – 17 mins. Potential new industrial applications for this ultra high temperature resin are expected in markets such as aerospace, automotive, electrical & electronics and oil & gas.
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