PRODUCTS and SECTORS
GCOMP product range : Organic matrix composites
GRANDO offers a complete range of organic matrix composites (OMC) in either thermoset resin (TS) or thermoplastic resin (TP).
Thermoset resins are crosslinked thanks to an irreversible polymerisation process, which makes them non-recyclable. Conversely, thermoplastic resins are produced by a reversible fusion process, making them recyclable. OMCs are manufactured from reinforcements impregnated with resin by a low- or high-pressure production process.
Here are some examples of TS and TP resins regularly used:
Thermoset resins (TS) :
- Unsaturated polyester (UP)
- Vinyl ester (VE)
- Epoxy (EP)
- Phenolic (PF)
- Methacrylate (A)
- Polybismaleimides (BMI)
- Silicone (SI)
- Melamine (MF)…
Thermoplastic resins (TP) :
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyamide (PA)
- Polyimide (PI)
- Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)
- Polyetherethercetone (PEEK)
- Poly(phenylene sulphide) (PPS)
- Poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO)…
Reinforcements can be classified according to the following three main criteria:
Their chemical composition :
- Vegetable fibres (flax, hemp, jute, cotton, etc.)
- Synthetic fibres (polyester, aramid, UHMWPE, etc.)
- Mineral fibres (glass, basalt, carbon, etc.)
- Metallic fibres
- Cellulose paper, mica paper, Bakelite-coated paper
Their architecture :
- Thread (Roving)
- Unidirectional web (UD)
- Woven
- any type of woven fabric (glass cloth, carbon cloth, aramid cloth, etc.)
- Non-woven
- Glass mat, cut glass mat fibres or any other type of fibre with the same architecture
Their size :
- Short fibres (0.1 to 1 mm)
- Long fibres (1 to 50 mm)
- Continuous fibres (>50 mm)
The mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of composite materials are essentially determined by the technical characteristics of the chosen resin-reinforcement combination.
Stratified composite structures
GRANDO specialises in the manufacture and processing of stratified composite structures (SCS). SCSs are made up of successive layers of reinforcements impregnated with resin, known as pleats. These are formed from long-fibre reinforcements bonded by a resin. SCSs are often made up of unidirectional or bidirectional pleats that are extremely thin, in the order of several tenths of a millimetre. The desired mechanical properties are obtained by stacking pleats in layers, each one of which is oriented differently.