Owens unveils HydroStrand glass fibre for polyamide resin

18 Mar '15

2 min read

Owens Corning, a leading global producer of glass fibre reinforcements for composite systems, has launched new HydroStrand 258 glass-fibre chopped strands for polyamide (PA) resins.

The product provides excellent dry-as-moulded properties in a wide range of PA formulations, as well as outstanding performance in glycol resistant PA 6,6 formulations.

It enables designers to reduce vehicle weight to improve fuel economy without sacrificing performance. It is used in automotive applications such as oil and fluid pump housings, oil pans, and powertrain parts.

Further to excellent dry-as-molded mechanical properties, the product delivers up to 22 per cent increase in impact strength when used in impact modified grades. It increases the potential to integrate automotive functions and be flexible in designing efficient parts.

With excellent hydrolysis resistance in PA applications, HydroStrand 258 product improves critical impact properties in applications exposed to glycol and allows for up to 13 per cent increase in impact after hydrolysis. This enables metal substitution in applications exposed to glycol and other liquids, Owens Corning said in a media release.

Finally, the product shows strong thermal stability, thus less discoloration at higher temperatures. The product offers a low yellowness making the product easy to use in natural colour applications, allowing for up to 26 per cent improvement in colour clarity.

Hydrostrand 258 chopped strands are made with the company’s patented boron-free Advantex glass.

Owens Corning develops and markets insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. Based in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning posted 2014 sales of $5.3 billion and employs about 14,000 people in 25 countries. (GK)

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