Innegra Technologies, Greenville, S.C., will launch its new Innegra H product line-a series of hybrid yarns for use in composite applications-at the upcoming JEC Americas Composite Show and Conference Show in Boston. Specifically engineered to meet industry demand for lightweight, damage- and impact-resistant composite solutions, the material is said to be the first new product of its type in more than five years and, is available at a significantly lower price point than similar composite fibers.
Innegra H can be used in most reinforcement and composite manufacturing processes and can be used in applications in a wide range of industries. Benefits range from, creating lighter weight and more impact resistant sporting equipment, to decreasing the weight of automotive body parts while reducing the danger of a crash-related catastrophic failure. The company expects interest from the luggage, marine, ballistics, and protective apparel industries-anywhere there is a need for adding value, safety, and durability to final composite parts.
The new line consists of high-performance olefin yarn comingled with other high-performance composite fibers, including aramid, basalt, carbon, and glass to increase durability and avoid the shattering effect of current lightweight composites. Hybridizing to gain performance is typically achieved at the fabric level or in multi-layer composite configurations. However, with Innegra H, hybridization is done at the filament level, allowing for a more homogeneous final part, resulting in significantly improved impact and damage tolerance properties.
The product will be jointly marketed by Innegra and B&W Fiber Glass, a leading producer of technical fibers with deep expertise in the area of hybridization. Due to the growth in composite applications, as well as evolving performance requirements, Innegra H will deliver a new range of product development options for designers and engineers. Both companies expect strong industry interest in and adoption of this exciting new composite fiber series.
“Clearly, the product fills a key industry need for stronger and more durable lightweight composite materials,” said Mark Smith, president, Innegra Technologies. “Before our launch we conducted thorough beta testing and shared our findings with product engineers across our target industries, each of whom indicated an eagerness to use Innegra in their product improvement and development efforts. Simply put, this product has the potential to be a true game changer in terms of radically improving performance without the need to alter currently installed manufacturing technologies.”
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