Summary:

Achieving the balance between weight and performance in high-stress applications is critical when implementing composites into structural applications. Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites present a promising solution, offering both strength and stiffness while maintaining design flexibility. Avient can tailor these materials to provide off-axis performance, and they can be post-molded into complex shapes and overmolded with traditional thermoplastics for localized reinforcement.

Who should attend:

Product Designers, Manufacturing and Process Engineers, and Product Developers Involved in the Aerospace, Automotive, and Sporting Goods Industries.

What you will learn:

Thermoplastic composite materials offer an excellent balance of sustainability and performance, but success requires multiple considerations. You will learn the difference between thermoplastic and thermoset composites and the intricacies of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. You will also gain insights into how composites can be used in a variety of applications to reduce weight without compromising structural performance.

1. Thermosets vs. Thermoplastics:
   • Explore the fundamental differences between thermoset and thermoplastic composites.
   • Discuss the behavior of thermoplastic composites and their inherent sustainability advantages over thermoset composites.
2. Thermoplastics 101:
   • A brief overview of the thermoplastic pyramid, comparing polymers from amorphous structures to semi-crystalline, crystalline, and elastomeric.
   • An explanation of how the structure of polymers affects their mechanical properties and how processing, composition, and temperature influence their amorphous and crystalline structures.
3. Advantages of Thermoplastic Composites:
   • Compare the performance and design flexibility of different types of composites.
   • Discuss the advantages of continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites in terms of strong material performance and design flexibility, including the ability to be post-formed and overmolded onto traditional thermoplastics.
4. Laminate Structure and Configurations:
   • Explain how continuous fiber reinforced laminates are made and how fibers can be oriented to meet design requirements.
   • Examine various laminate configurations and their applications.
5. Laminate Loading and Modulus:
   • Analyze the effects of loading direction on laminate performance, including tensile and flexural modulus.
   • Explore how the amount of fiber in the loading direction and the loading direction itself affect the mechanical properties of a PP composite laminate.
6. Forming Methods and Applications:
   • Discuss various forming methods for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes and laminates, such as thermal lamination, vacuum forming, and compression molding.
   • Highlight case studies that illustrate these forming methods.

How Avient can help:

Below are strategies that manufacturers can use to adopt continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites most effectively, along with the relevant Avient solutions that can help:

1. Material Selection: Selecting the right thermoplastic material to balance impact resistance, flexibility, and strength is a critical first step.
   • Avient's expertise in material science and composite manufacturing and processing provides a range of thermoplastic materials, from standard polymers to ultra-high-performance polymers, tailored to specific application needs.
2. Composite Configuration: Thermoplastic composites are available in various form factors, each unique in specific properties and application uses.
   • Avient's Polystrand™ composite materials offer versatility in applications, allowing for mechanical performance to be targeted precisely where needed in the structure.
3. Forming Methods: Efficiently forming CFRTP composites into complex shapes will maximize their potential.
   • Avient's unidirectional tapes and laminates support various forming methods, such as thermal lamination, vacuum forming, and compression molding, enabling the creation of complex geometries with reduced cycle times.
4. Overmolding: Integrating CFRTP composites with traditional thermoplastics through overmolding to provide localized reinforcement and design flexibility.
   • Avient CFRTP solutions for overmolding can be used to increase flexural performance, maintain performance at elevated temperatures, and enhance impact resistance with minimal weight impact.