Title: Light Weight Weatherable Molded-in-Color Composites with Optimized Mechanical Properties

Authors: Santosh K. Yadav, Paul A. Rettinger

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.21.0611

Abstract: This study evaluates a commercial weatherable sheet molding compound (SMC) with a nominal specific density of 1.75. The objective of the study is to examine at least two (2) ways in which the density of the formulation may be reduced without loss of mechanical properties or performance. In this work, engineered lightweight glass spheres are used as density-reducing filler, in an attempt to drive the specific gravity to around 1.5. However, there are limitations to the use of glass spheres in an SMC formulation, and those limitations – and a means of working around them – are provided.

References: 1. Yadav, Santosh; Rettinger, Paul A. “Weatherable Molded-in-Color Composites: Mechanisms and Relationships of Accelerated Test Methods and Geometry” CAMX 2019. 2. Amlung, Joseph R.; McKay, Jonathan M.; Skelskey, Thomas J. “Advances in Weatherable Sheet Molding Compound Technology” CAMX 2019. 3. Rettinger, Paul A.; Mason, Lora; and Shah, Mayur. “UV Stable, Weather Resistant Sheet Molding Compound: An Alternative Approach to Building Strong, Durable Transportation Composites,” Automotive Composites Conference and Exposition, 2016. 4. Rettinger, Paul A.; Brannon, Selby M.; and Lewis, Jeffrey D. “A Short Guide to the Formulation of Exterior-Durable Composites,” SPI/CI International Conference, 1998. 5. Rettinger, Paul A.; Brannon, Selby M; Gleditsch, C. E., and Sykes, M. “A molded-in-color UV-Stable Sheet molding Compound: One Step Beyond. SPE 2001.

Conference: SAMPE NEXUS 2021

Publication Date: 2021/06/29

SKU: TP21-0000000611

Pages: 9

Price: FREE