1st primare conference, plymouth, 04-05 june 2014
DESCRIPTION
Gel-coating for marine structures. Zoltán Gombos and John Summerscales Advanced Composites Manufacturing Centre (ACMC) Centre for Advanced Engineering Systems and Interactions research group (CAESI) University of Plymouth. Abstract - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
1st PRIMaRE conference, Plymouth, 04-05 June 2014
Zoltán Gombos and John SummerscalesAdvanced Composites Manufacturing Centre (ACMC)
Centre for Advanced Engineering Systems and Interactions research group (CAESI)University of Plymouth
Abstract
Fibre-reinforced polymer composites are used in many applications in the marine environment because of their excellent durability. This performance is often enhanced by the use of a surface coating (normally an unsaturated polyester or vinyl ester polymer-rich gel-coat). Gel-coats have traditionally been applied by hand-painting or spraying which releases styrene (a reactive diluent in the resin) into the workplace and the environment. The FP7 InGeCt project has developed two in-mould gel-coating systems. This paper compares the conventional hand-painted gel-coating, in-mould gel-coating with a separator fabric (IMGC) and in-mould surfacing (IMS) with a silicone shim to establish if styrene levels can be significantly reduced by the adoption of closed mould systems.
Conclusions
The conventional hand-painted technology was found to have significantly higher levels of styrene emission than the two closed mould processes. For the open mould process, the average styrene levels were in the range 28-70 ppm. The two closed mould technologies significantly reduce the measured styrene levels to lie in the range 0.23–0.37 ppm. The new processes offer a reduction in average styrene emission levels of >98% (worst new/best old). This has obvious benefits for worker health and the reduction of environmental burdens.
Acknowledgement
This research is funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme managed by REA-Research Executive Agency ([FP7/2007-2013] [FP7/2007-2011]) under grant agreement number FP7-SME-2011-1-286520. The partner companies were:• Alan Harper Composites (Cornwall)• Centro Tessile Cotoniero E Abbigliamento SpA (IT)• De IJssel Coatings BV (NL)• KMT Nord APS (DK)• Lightweight Structures BV (NL)• SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden (SE)• Tessitura Valdolona SRL (IT)
Styrene level HPGC RTM/IMGC RIFT/IMS
IMGC TWA (ppm) 71 0.24 (-99.7%) N/A
IMGC Ceiling (ppm) 1017 36 (-96.5%) N/A
IMS TWA (ppm) 29 0.23 (-99.2%) 0.37 (-98.7%)
IMS Ceiling (ppm) 668 49 (-92.6%) 107 (-84.0%)
Table 1: Styrene levels (andpercentage reductions) using the in-mould gel-coating techniques
Hand-painted Separator fabric Silicone shim
upper images : flat plate, lower: complex geometryNB: extended scales for hand-painted plates
Gel-coating for marine structures