Autoclaves Provide a Critical Step in the Composite Development Process

A composite is a material made from combining two or more materials, altering the original physical and chemical properties. From ancient Egypt to our day, humans have been experimenting with making better materials simply by combining other materials. Genghis Khan gained military victories nearly 1800 years ago by creating a composite bow made of wood, bone and glue derived from animal products. Modern composites really became mainstream in the early 1900’s with the development of vinyl, polystyrene and polyester. Fiberglass came on the scene in 1935, creating a remarkable composite that was both strong and lightweight, making it perfect for structural applications. Wartime spearheaded the development of critical resins, such as epoxies, that are still used today. While we still use many of the same composites that have been around for decades, the development process has become more efficient. Much of that is owed to the introduction of the autoclave.

Autoclaves Help Make Composites

Many think of autoclaves as sterilization tools, providing high pressure and high temperature to kill microscopic germs. However, industrial autoclaves also serve a critical function. They “cure” composites, applying heat that encourages the formation of long-chain polymer molecules. Here are just three examples.

• Rubber can be made efficiently in an autoclave through a process that uses sulfur to heat, toughen and harden the newly formed material.
• Industrial autoclaves can be used to make nylon by “cooking” a concentrated salt solution, which creates condensation polymerization.
• Developers can circulate organic peroxides in an autoclave to polymerize ethylene to make polyethylene.

Practical Applications: Aerospace

Composites are used throughout our world, from the smallest tools in wound care to the manufacturing of airplanes. In fact, according to ThoughtCo, the use of composites in aerospace has doubled every five years since 1987. Composite materials play a vital role in weight reduction, a main factor in reducing the lift-to-weight ratio in aircrafts. In addition, composites provide high impact resistance, help prevent corrosion issues and provide thermal stability.

The Bondtech Corporation specializes in the design and manufacturing of autoclaves systems across industries, including aerospace, motor sports, textiles, rubber, plastics, clean room epoxy bonding and much more. Contact us to learn more about how composites developed through the use of an autoclave system can improve your manufacturing process.