world's first carbon fiber monocoque mountain bike

 📢It's Story-Time!📢

Meet the creator of the world's first carbon fiber monocoque mountain bike: Chris Hornzee-Jones!

In the early 90s, Chris moved from the UK to California to work in aerospace composites, in his baggage there was a love of cycling, including a fascination with human-powered vehicles. The lot came together in a sketch that morphed into a prototype that evolved into an extraordinary, original off-roader that was eventually sold back to the UK under the Lotus brand.

The frame of this bike is a true monocoque, made in one piece. Attempts by others in the early days had all been of two pieces (or more) joined together. Its shape may or may not have been inspired by Chris’s interest in dolphins, which he’d studied in the Bahamas. Internal cable routing keeps the lines clean.

The chainstays came in for special carbon attention too, because of that Softail element: the sides use high-grade aerospace material called Intermediate Modulus Carbon, and along the top and bottom fiberglass is used with a Kevlar surface for impact protection.

In Chris' own words: “This mountain bike was built like the proverbial brick shithouse and is very, very robust.”

He still finds time to ride his very own model regularly, when he’s finished working for clients around the world who enlist the world-class expertise of his Brighton-based wind turbine design company, Aerotrope.

A true composite legend!

Source: Article "Mountain bike history: world’s first carbon monocoque mountain bike" written by Jamie Darlow.

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BASF’s High Temperature-resistant PPSU-based Reusable To-go Mugs

 Bottle manufacturer Yiwu Midi Technology, Zhejiang has selected Ultrason® P 3010 from BASF to produce reusable to-go mugs for the market launch of its new business segment.

Because of its durability, high-temperature resistance and design versatility the BASF polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) offers a unique combination of lifestyle attributes and sustainability for high-quality to-go cups that are lightweight, shatter-proof, and fashionable: Ultrason® P 3010 maintains the flavor of e.g. coffee without any impact on taste or odor. It does not show any discoloration by contact with hot or cold liquids like coffee, juices, soft drinks, or tea.

Lesser Packaging Waste

At the same time, the BASF thermoplastic polymer contributes to less packaging waste as the mugs can be reused many times and thus support a circular economy: The chemically resistant Ultrason® P 3010 easily withstands cleaning agents as well as the high temperatures in dishwashers and is even sterilization-proof without losing its excellent mechanical properties or visual appearance.

Thus, reusable to-go mugs made of Ultrason® can be part of a reuse and multiple-cycle system that saves valuable resources and avoids packaging waste as targeted in the Single-use Plastics EU Directive 2019/904.

Ultrason® P 3010 is a medium-viscosity injection molding and extrusion grade with temperature-independent properties spanning a wide temperature range from -30 to +180°C. It is food contact compliant in the US, the EU, and China.

“Many to-go mugs on the market are either made of single-use materials, are not resistant to hot liquids or are made of easily breakable glass, or of steel which lacks design freedom”, says Georg Graessel from Global Business Development Ultrason® at BASF. “Our PPSU with superior toughness and chemical resistance is a high-performance and sustainable alternative to such materials. It gives our customers more freedom in design and provides consumers with long-term usage so that people can enjoy their daily cup of take-out coffee with pleasure and quiet conscience.”

Stand Out Design and Two Air Vents

The slightly honey-colored tint of Ultrason® and its good processability allow the mugs to stand apart from those available in the market today. The mugs by Yiwu Midi Technology have two air vents, an additional straw opening, and a handgrip ring made of silicone, making them practical in use and elegant in appearance at the same time. Ultrason® P 3010 can be easily manufactured in combination with other materials like silicone.

“The take-out coffee culture in China is increasing but especially younger people are more and more aware of the influence of their lifestyle on the environment”, says Xiong Han, general manager at Yiwu Midi Technology. “When we decided to expand our bottle business to the manufacturing of to-go mugs, our search for a partner was easy: We have been working with BASF for a long time and know that Ultrason® is an excellent material for baby bottles. It offers us the perfect combination of performance, safety and design. And because of its long-term resistance and multifunctionality, we were able to develop reusable to-go mugs that can contribute to a more sustainable way of life with less packaging waste.” BASF supported Yiwu Midi Technology along the whole process from product development to manufacturing via injection stretch blow molding.

Source:BASF

BMW to complete final testing of the iX5 Hydrogen near the Arctic Circle

 The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is currently undergoing a demanding program of testing in extremely challenging weather conditions. It is all part of final winter testing for the car on public roads and at the BMW Group’s testing center in Arjeplog, northern Sweden. The integrated functional testing and validation of the fuel cell system, hydrogen tanks, peak power battery, and central vehicle control unit have confirmed that this additional CO2-free mobility option can also be relied on to provide sustainable driving pleasure with high levels of comfort and unrestricted performance in extreme sub-zero temperatures.

The tests close to the Arctic Circle see the BMW Group pressing ahead with its development process for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen. The company will produce a small series of the model later in the year and is also committed to helping expand the network of hydrogen fueling stations. “The winter testing under extreme conditions clearly shows that the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also deliver full performance in temperatures of -20°C and therefore represents a viable alternative to a vehicle powered by a battery-electric drive system,”

In these test runs on the ice and snow around Arjeplog, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is busy demonstrating how reliably, comfortably, and powerfully its hydrogen fuel cell drive system can already meet the mobility requirements of everyday life. After racking up hundreds of sessions on test rigs and in-depth field testing on the road.

The drive system onboard the BMW iX5 Hydrogen teams fuel cell technology with an electric motor using fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. The hydrogen uses as an energy source is stored in two 700-bar tanks made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The fuel cell converts the hydrogen into electric power, generating an output of 125 kW/170 hp. Plus, the electric motor can add the energy stored in a power battery to the mix. This battery is charged either through energy recovery or from the fuel cell. All of this means that a system output of 275 kW/374 hp is available when the driver decides to explore the upper reaches of the car’s dynamic abilities. The only emission released by the fuel cell is water vapor. And its waste heat is harnessed particularly efficiently to warm the car’s interior.

The drive, energy storage, and control systems all pass the ultimate test of endurance in the wintery surrounds of Lapland. Added to this, specially prepared ice surfaces and snow-covered roads offer the perfect conditions to test the integrated application of all the drive and chassis systems.

The combination of fuel cell and peak power battery gives the BMW iX5 Hydrogen a globally unique drive system. Its technology has the potential to add another pillar to the BMW Group’s drive system portfolio for locally CO2-free mobility.

Source: BMW Group

Polyurethane Composites: New Alternative to Polyester and Vinyl Ester, Trend

PUR composites are produced with rigid thermoset resins, as opposed to elastomeric or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). “Composites manufactured from these PU resins have superior tensile strength, impact resistance, and abrasion resistance compared with composites based on unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins,”

PUR composites are also said to be attractive for their processing advantages. Cure times are much faster than for polyester spray-up—about 20 min versus 2 to 4 hr in non-automotive applications, notes Bayer’s Snyder. PUR spray processes are also much less labor-intensive than polyester spray-up, which requires rolling out the glass to remove air and ensure complete wet-out.

In automotive parts, PUR SRIM takes 30 sec to 2 min vs. 2 to 10 min for polyester and vinyl ester SMC, says Terry Seagrave, Bayer’s market channel manager for NAFTA automotive business.

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Bioethanol – the environmentally-friendly fuel

Ethanol is versatile: The alcohol which we are familiar with in alcoholic beverages can also be used as an organic fuel. 

In Europe, bioethanol is mainly manufactured from starch-rich cereal crops (wheat and corn) as well as from concentrated sugar beet juice, i.e. from plants grown locally. Bioethanol (not to be confused with biodiesel) is either used as a pure fuel or as an admixture to normal petrol. Double usage: The starch-rich components of the plants are used to make ethanol while the protein-rich components are used to make valuable animal feed.



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A fiberglass staircase manufactured for the Museum of The Future

 📢It's time for our segment Endless Possibilities!📢

A fiberglass staircase manufactured for the Museum of The Future!

The Museum of the Future, a new addition to Dubai’s skyline by architects Killa Design, engineers Buro Happold and contractor BAM International, opened on Feb. 22, 2022, and features a large percentage of composite materials within its interior construction!

For example, @Advanced Fiberglass Industries manufactured 230 double-curved interior panels, a unique double-helix DNA structure staircase that scales the full seven levels of the museum, and 228 glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) oval-shaped light structures for the museum’s car parking area.

Lightweight, quick-to-install, durable and highly formable fire-retardant composites provided the optimum material solution for the torus-shaped Museum’s double-curved interior panels, that were decorated with a raised calligraphy design featuring quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

In what is said to be a first of its kind for a large-scale composites project, adaptable mold technology from Danish company @Adapa, was introduced by AFI to ensure that the interior panels could be delivered in line with the project schedule. As well as enabling the rapid configuration of each panel without the machining of traditional molds, the adaptive mold technology significantly reduced waste generated in the molding process, contributing to the building’s low-carbon LEED platinum credentials.

With a challenging structural and fire safety specification defined, @Sicomin’s bio-based SGi128 intumescent Gelcoat and SR1122 fire-retardant laminating epoxy were chosen for the panels. In addition to high fire properties, SGi 128 is also formulated with more than 30% carbon from renewable sources, reducing the final carbon footprint significantly.

Source: CompositesWorld

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Genomatica and Asahi Kasei Partner to Commercialize Renewably-sourced Nylon 6,6

Genomatica and Asahi Kasei announce a strategic partnership to commercialize renewably-sourced nylon 6,6 made from Genomatica’s bio-based HMD (hexamethylenediamine, also abbreviated as HMDA) building block. Asahi Kasei looks to this partnership to support its goal to be first-to-market with a more sustainable nylon 6,6 for the automotive and electronics industries, based on plant-based HMD, and to accelerate the achievement of its corporate sustainability objectives.

Genomatica’s Sustainable HMD

HMD is a key component of nylon 6,6 (also known as polyamide 6,6) and multiple other types of nylon, with a global market of 2 million tons per year. Conventional HMD is made starting from fossil fuels, such as crude oil or natural gas. Renewably sourced HMD made with Genomatica’s technology is derived from renewable feedstocks, such as plant-based sugars, and can improve the sustainability of the many materials made from it.

Genomatica develops complete, integrated process and manufacturing plant designs that use biotechnology, fermentation, and renewable feedstocks to make widely-used ingredients and materials with lower carbon footprints. Asahi Kasei expects Genomatica’s innovation to help the company reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

GENO™ HMD Process Technology

Building upon Genomatica’s recently announced breakthrough to successfully produce significant volumes of plant-based HMD, Asahi Kasei intends to apply the GENO™ HMD process technology to make more sustainable materials for use in products such as high-temperature automotive parts, electronics, or yarns to produce airbags. Asahi Kasei will have preferential access to early volumes of renewably sourced HMD and perform nylon application testing, leveraging Asahi Kasei’s deep experience developing successful nylon applications. Asahi Kasei anticipates licensing Genomatica’s GENO™ HMD process technology to commercialize bio-based nylon 6,6.

“Just as the sustainable energy transition is reinventing how we power our lives, we are at the start of a sustainable material's transition that will reinvent the products we use every day and where they come from,” said Christophe Schilling, Genomatica CEO. “Genomatica’s partnership with Asahi Kasei utilizing the GENO™ HMD process for nylon 6,6 and other specialty nylons marks another important step forward in this transition and leads the way toward more renewably-sourced, bio-based manufacturing plants replacing those utilizing fossil fuels.”

Source: Genomatica

A pilot project in India set to assess hydrogen fuel cell vehicles viability in the country

 The Indian hydrogen economy has received a boost with the Transport Ministry launching a new pilot project to study and evaluate a fuel cell Toyota Mirai on Indian roads and assess its performance in the country’s climatic conditions.

This is according to The Print, with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles holding promise in the transportation sector due to their adaptability whilst also being highly regarded as a zero-emission fuel for vehicles.

Should this study and assessment be successful it could see an influx of hydrogen technology and vehicles on Indian roads creating further demand for the clean energy carrier and investment opportunities in India.

India has also been progressing its hydrogen economy in the past year and this adds to the existing potential the country has to become a key player in the global value chain.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways India, said, “Green Hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy and abundantly available biomass. Introduction and adoption of technology to tap into the green hydrogen’s potential will play a key role in securing a clean and affordable energy future for India.

Source:h2-view.com