Dow Epoxy, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”), has introduced new DOW COMPAXXTM 900 foam core system, which is designed to enable the fabrication of wind blades exceeding 40 meters in length. Dow continues to offer DOW COMPAXXTM 700 foam core system for use in wind blades of less than 40 meters. Dow Epoxy will highlight DOW COMPAXXTM foam core systems in Stand No. B19 at the JEC Europe 2012 Composites Exhibition in Paris, March 27 – 29.
This latest addition to the DOW COMPAXXTM line of foam core systems is a structural foam that can help minimize composite weight, which is critical in the production of longer wind blades. The weight savings are made possible by low resin pick-up during fabrication. The foam’s small cell size – up to 100 times smaller than cells in chemical blown foams such as PVC – limits the amount of resin that can fill cut cells at the surface. In addition, the closed cell structure of the material prevents penetration of the resin deeper into the foam.
Although resin pickup is low, the inherent ductile properties of DOW COMPAXXTM 900 produce excellent skin-to-core bonds and composites made with DOW COMPAXXTM 900 exhibit excellent fatigue resistance.
The new foam core system exhibits higher static performance than PVC foam due to the continuous extrusion process used to produce DOW COMPAXXTM 900. The process allows very accurate control of cell expansion and produces cells that are homogeneous in size. The result is a material with optimum mass distribution, uniform cell structure and consistent wall thickness, factors that enable the new foam to outperform core materials with the same density, such as PVC.
Dow said DOW COMPAXXTM 900 can be used in the shear web, shell and in all other parts of wind turbine blades where high performance structural foam is required. The company said DOW COMPAXXTM 900 is recyclable and waste material created during the kitting process or panel manufacturing can be recovered. The foam and final composite material can be recycled by grinding and used as filler in other products. Refer to the Material Safety Data sheet for further details on disposal considerations.
According to Gino Francato, business development manager for Dow’s wind group, “DOW COMPAXXTM 900 is the product of Dow chemistry and materials science expertise. DOW COMPAXXTM foam core systems are advanced materials, engineered specifically for wind blade applications. They can reduce fabrication costs and improve wind blade mechanical performance, which makes them excellent replacements for PVC, SAN, PET as well as balsa.”
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
