Thermoplastic Composite Features

Thermoplastic Composites offer a combination of features that provide exceptional value in structural applications requiring a long service life. Traditional materials such as wood, concrete and steel are so common their properties are assumed to be good. These materials have two fatal flaws - they begin to corrode and rot immediately after installation and they require high levels of maintenance to remain in service. Thermoplastic Composites do not possess these liabilities. The material will not rot or corrode, and it is impervious to insects and marine borers. The result is a material that will remain strong with virtually no maintenance.

The key to the material is immiscible polymer blend, joining two or more plastics into a single formula. Most plastics, when combined develop properties equivalent to the average of the properties of plastics. In some cases, the properties of the mixture are worse than individual properties of the components when the materials are incompatible.

The immiscible polymer blend of the Thermoplastic Composites from IGS was developed at Rutgers University and is manufactured by Axion International. The scientists at Rutgers found a way to join some plastics into a combination offering synergistic performance. The properties of the composite are greater than the properties of the individuals plastics. This is most noteworthy with the creep resistance of the material. Creep is the tendency of plastics to deform when under a load over a long time period. The tendency to creep has been one of the major stumbling blocks preventing plastics from widespread adoption in structural applications. The composite blends developed at Rutgers offer excellent creep resistance, far superior to traditional plastics.

Excellent wear resistance: Thermoplastic Composites are very tough and abrasion resistant.

Specific strength of steel: Thermoplastic Composites offer great strength. When designed to maximize the features of the material, it can be used in high loading applications, such as the 70-ton capacity of the Fort Bragg tank bridges or the 120-ton capacity of the Fort Eustis railroad bridges. These bridges utilized Thermoplastic Composite pilings, decking and I-Beams with high Moments of Inertia to provide the strength and stiffness needed in high loading applications.

Exceptional creep resistance: The most innovative aspect of the material is the creep resistance. Traditional plastics will creep under very low loading conditions. The immiscible polymer blend technology utilized in the material develops a strong arrangement of different plastics that is resistant to creep. The result is a material that offers more than six times the creep resistance of traditional plastics.

Requires virtually no maintenance: Thermoplastic Composites are made from plastics that naturally resist degredation and will not corrode or rot. There is little to no maintenance required for the materials.

Easy to cut and drill: Thermoplastic Composites can be cut and drilled with traditional tools. Chainsaws, circular saws and miter saws are all effective when sizes pieces on a job site. Cordless drills are also very effective when pilot holes must be drilled. The only concern when working with the material is to use carbide tooling that will quickly remove material to ensure that excessive heat does not build up.

Lightweight: Thermoplastic Composites typically offer a density of 50 to 53 lbs. per cuft. The density can be further reduced with additional foaming agents for specific applications. By using I-Beams with high Moments of Inertia, a very lightweight structure can be designed for high loading applications. The low density allows construction teams to use lower capacity equipment, and in many cases, handle the structural components by hand.

Made from recycled plastic: Thermoplastic Composites are made from blends of recycled material. This material would otherwise end up in a landfill or incinerator.

Completely Recyclable: Thermoplastic Composites can be recycled into new Thermoplastic Composites after a structure has reached the end of its service life. This ensures the plastics used to build a Thermoplastic Composite bridge, pier or other structure will remain outside the waste stream. The material can be reprocessed into new Thermoplastic Composites elements indefinitely.

Will not release VOCs: Thermoplastic Composites do not outgas any VOCs during the manufacturing process or afterwards.

Non-toxic: Thermoplastic Composites will not harm the environment where they are placed. Unlike other materials that leach chemicals over time, the plastics used in the material offer a way to construct structures in sensitive environments such as wetlands without causing damage.