Kuraray America Inc, a worldwide specialty materials manufacturer, will feature Vectran HT and exhibit a diverse portfolio of advanced fibers and nonwovens at Techtextil North America (Booth 1803), April 1-3, 2008.
The company will highlight Vectran HT, a high-tenacity fiber that is increasingly being used by product designers and engineers as a possible alternative to aramid fibers.
New for 2008, solution-dyed Vectran HT will be available in several new colors such as blue, green and orange. These new offerings provide enhanced UV resistance, colorfastness and strength, making them well suited for a wide range of applications. Additionally, Vectran will be introduced in finer filaments, and offered as staple fibers for creating blended yarns.
Vectran fibers feature mechanical properties and chemical attributes that align with specific application and performance requirements to provide engineering solutions for aerospace, composite, inflatable, rope and cable, heavy marine and industrial applications, and specialized support to technical textile niche markets where unique applications demand these high-performance properties.
“We have only begun to scratch the surface of possible uses for Vectran fiber. This product is currently being tapped to provide added toughness to advanced composite materials, puncture resistance to professional bike tires, and elevated temperature and moisture resistance to printed circuit boards, fiber optic strength members and conductor reinforcements,“ said Robert Knudsen, Vectran’s manager of sales and marketing. “The fiber is commonly used in combination with other synthetic materials in composites, and is increasingly sought after for replacement of steel and aramids in reinforcing ropes and cables.”
Vectran fiber is known for its strength, rigidity, abrasion and moisture resistance, and property retention over a broad range of temperature and chemical environments. Mechanically, Vectran is three to five times stronger than polyesters and up to 20 percent stronger than aramid fibers. It is a high-modulus (stiff) fiber with low creep under load. When compared with other fibers classified as high-modulus, Vectran ranks high in abrasion resistance, flex-fatigue endurance, dimensional stability, and chemical and heat resistance.
In addition to Vectran HT, Kuraray America will be exhibiting structural fibers for concrete reinforcement; advanced fibers for paper and nonwovens, including developmental anti-static and electro-conductive fibers; spunlace nonwovens for hygiene applications; and synthetic leather made of super-micro fiber for industrial usages.
Based in Fort Mill S.C., the Vectran division of Kuraray America, Inc. produces Vectran fiber, the world’s only multifilament polyester-polyarylate yarn melt spun from liquid crystal polymer (LCP). Vectran fiber is used in a wide range of applications where strength, durability and dimensional stability are critical to performance and safety.
