Huntsman Advanced Materials’ role in two innovation awards to be presented at JEC World 2016

Huntsman Advanced Materials’ long track record in winning industry awards for technical development has seen two further accolades for innovation, which will be presented at JEC World 2016.

The first, highly prized recognition is a JEC World 2016 Innovation Award, won in partnership with Compose SA, IndAC AG and ThermoFLUX for a joint entry in the Thermoset Resins category under the title "Structural Epoxy parts with autoclave quality in less than 1 minute”.

Equally valued is another joint enterprise under the auspices of world leader in renewable energy, Acciona Infrastructures in Spain, along with close collaborators Aimplas, Dow, Saertex, Owens Corning and Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia. This project was to design and construct the first ever all composite lighthouse.

Huntsman Advanced Technology’s Head of European Technical Support, Philippe Christou, has been co-ordinating the company’s role in the projects and the awards submissions. He says innovation and partnership are fundamental building blocks in the company’s ethos.

"These two projects are hard evidence that when companies work together hand-in-hand with shared research, technologies and ideas, successful innovation will be the outcome. Huntsman would like to congratulate all the companies who worked on these JEC global award-winning projects.”

In the first application, Huntsman’s industry ‘first’ in providing structural epoxy parts with autoclave quality in less than one minute was recognised as critical to success.

The process innovation involved is Dynamic Fluid Compression Molding (DFCM) which delivers consistent quality straight from the mould, using fast-cure ARALDITE® epoxy solutions and characterised by high-fibre content and void-free parts.

In the Lighthouse project it was necessary to develop a low exothermic, low viscosity epoxy based infusion and RTM resin with long pot life and also a suitable epoxy based structural adhesive which was thixotropic and easy to apply on vertical surfaces.

The qualities of the resin were particularly important to meet the challenges encountered in moving from an open resin bath process to resin injection. Ultimately it was necessary to create a new resin system which offered low viscosity, low exothermic and long pot life.

Philippe Christou concludes. "JEC Innovation Awards are recognised throughout the composites industry and we are delighted to have shared in not just one but two this year. Even more important, though, is the fact that in both cases there have been direct and practical results which are providing end user benefits.”