Composites Hans deBot, President/Founder of deBotech, explained that the 15-year technology partnership it has with Solvay and USA Bobsled and Skeleton is hinged on its expertise in carbon fibre composite properties. The long-time tie-up is lauded by Richard Laubenstein, Crew Chief at USA Bobsled and Skeleton, who commented that the custom designed high-quality carbon fibre composite equipment will, “in addition to our incredible athletes, put us in contention for medals in 2018”.
inov-8 partnered with the University of Manchester to pioneer in developing a sport shoe model that incorporates graphene
Michael Price, inov-8 Product and Marketing Director, said that utilising the groundbreaking properties of graphene for the lightweight G-Series shoes can benefit off-road runners and fitness athletes who require a sticky outsole grip, either on wet trails or in sweaty gyms, to optimise their performance. “For too long, they have had to compromise this need for grip with the knowledge that such rubber wears down quickly. The new rubber we have developed allows us to smash the limits of grip,” Price said. Graphene is produced from graphite, which was first mined in the Lake District of Northern England over 450 years ago. In 2003, inov-8 also forged in the same area. The brand now trades in 68 countries worldwide. Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, from University of Manchester, said that when the graphene is added to the rubber in inov-8’s G-Series shoes it imparts all its properties, including its strength. “Our unique formulation makes these outsoles 50% stronger, 50% more stretchy and 50% more resistant to wear than the corresponding industry standard rubber without graphene,” he said, adding that it is a revolutionary consumer product that will have a huge impact on the sports footwear market. Carbon fibre glides in winter sports Belgium-headquartered Solvay and US-based deBotech tied up to provide custom-designed carbon-fibre composite equipment to USA Bobsled and Skeleton, a national federation for bobsled and skeleton in the US. Solvay says its prepregs are developed to offer maximum strength while remaining lightweight, and offer the ability to create distinctive complex shapes, giving performance equipment high aerodynamic efficiency. Carmelo Lo Faro, President of Solvay’s Composite Materials Global Business Unit, stressed how the company has always supported sports and athletes aiming to break records and leverage the strengths of its composite materials technology to their advantage, whether it is on water, in the air, in the velodrome, on the track or on snow.
Solvay and deBotech are providing custom-designed carbonfibre composite equipment to USA Bobsled and Skeleton
Meanwhile, students at the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) have developed and tested composite snow sled prototypes, each made of carbon fibre, basalt, or glass fibre composites. IACMI members, who include Mafic, Ashland Performance Materials, Huntsman, Polynt, Chomarat, Magnum Venus Products (MVP), and the UTK offered the material and equipment for students to conduct the research project.
IACMI developed and tested composite snow sled prototypes, each made of carbon fibre, basalt, or glass fibre composites JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018
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