English
Twaron Black: choose your own high-performance look
There’s no question that Twaron is a high-performance material. Wherever you see its signature yellow color, you know that the product will push performance limits. But black is the color consumers most seem to associate with high performance. Just think of jet-black stealth planes and leaping black-clad ninjas. To enable our customers to offer both high performance and a high-performance look, Teijin Aramid has developed Twaron Black. It’s the first all-black
high-modulus aramid filament yarn on the market. In the course of 2012, Twaron Black staple fiber will be introduced as well. And while some customers are using it to stand out from the crowd, others are delighted to find a Twaron that blends in…
Teijin Aramid had detected demand for black products in a range of markets.Customers were saying the same kinds of things, says Dennis te Riele, Sales Manager Composites, Ropes and Cables. “First and foremost, they wanted excellent material properties. But they also wanted to be able to design black end-products.” In the sailing industry, for example, professional sailmakers have long used high-modulus aramid fibers to reinforce sails for racing vessels. While their performance requirements have remained consistently high, aesthetics have become increasingly important. In fact, they were seeking the high-performance look of black carbon fiber, but with the endurance of an aramid sail. “When you want to add your own designs to a sail, then the pattern created by the yellow Twaron fibers can be hard to disguise.” This is also particularly important for Johannes Manten, Teijin Aramid’s Sales Manager for the Protective Clothing market – which mainly comprises different types of uniform. “Fire fighters, industrial workers, even the military and police: they very often have dark uniforms in blue or black or grey. Twaron is used to provide strength and help to reduce the weight of the garments. But due to its yellow color, the fiber always stands out. For both markets, the answer was to develop a black version of para-aramid Twaron. “It’s the first high-modulus black aramid fiber on the market. For the Protective Clothing market, Twaron Black can now be used with other fibers to make dark fabrics,” says Johannes. And for the sailing industry, a black Twaron fiber also gives much greater design flexibility for both sails and composites. Teijin Aramid already offered a black Technora para-aramid yarn. But Twaron has a high modulus, which is essential for the sailing industry and many other composite applications. And it is more flame retardant – making it better suited for fire-fighting turn-out gear.
These colors don’t run
The key to developing Twaron Black was finding exactly the right black pigment among the hundreds of pigments available, explains Technical Account Manager Rob Woudman. “The pigment had to produce a deep color that wouldn’t fade to yellow or grey,” he says, “and it had to preserve all the essential properties of Twaron. And hardest of all, it had to be tough enough in practice to withstand the extremely demanding conditions of the Twaron spinning process – without becoming unstable.” Researchers at Teijin Aramid consulted outside experts on the choice of pigments. This gave them a short list of potential candidates, which they gradually narrowed down until they identified exactly the right pigment for the job.
A look that stands out
Dennis sees a lot of potential for Twaron Black in the sporting goods market. “This is an ideal material for use in composites where damage tolerance and modulus are key – such as in surfboards, kayaks and canoes.” The problem faced by manufacturers of sporting equipment is that glass or carbon fibers alone are strong but brittle, and can break more easily on impact. Composites that include Twaron Black will have better modulus and damage tolerance – and won’t have that black-and-yellow pattern of standard aramid hybrids. The first sails reinforced with Twaron Black will be seen in action at the upcoming 2011-2012 round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race – one of the most grueling and competitive races in the world. And in the new year, it will also be available as staple fibers. “We’re already producing high-modulus filament yarns in two different thicknesses,” says Dennis. “This gives our customers the flexibility they need for their particular applications.” Both Johannes and Dennis are eager to discuss further development possibilities with their customers. “Not only that,” says Johannes, “but we’re actually inviting customers to develop their own solutions based on Twaron Black!”
