Reinforcement Tapes Mutual produces a full line of Bi-Directional Reinforcement Fabric Tapes Mutual weaves a full line of bi-directional fabric tapes constructed from carbon/graphite, Kevlar, fiberglass
and ceramics fibers. The nature of Mutual's proprietary weaving process insures a strong selvedge edge. The woven fabric tapes do not fray or unravel. They also provide more
uniformity to the tape and superior strength tapes have a soft hand, and therefore drape easily. They also conform to difficult tooling and wet lay-up applications.
Mutual's reinforcement bi-directional fabric tapes are supplied on convenient 50 yard rolls permitting the user to unroll the desired length as required. Larger rolls are
available upon request. Supplying fabric in these narrow widths eliminates the cutting of wide goods down to smaller widths. This translates into a large savings in
man-hours, as well as accuracy in narrow fabric widths. It also eliminates fraying and skin irritations. Mutual's ceramic reinforcement tapes can withstand continuous ambient temperatures
of 1800 degrees F and maintain stability in the most hostile environments. CARBON/GRAPHITE
Reinforcement Tapes...stronger than steel.
Mutual carbon/graphite bi-directional fabric tapes are among the strongest and stiffest of the reinforcing materials being used today in structural composites. These tapes
exhibit outstanding fatigue resistance and can be tailored to meet specific loading conditions. Mutual Industries provides design, prototyping and new product development
capabilities to assist its customers in finding new cost effective uses for its carbon/graphite bi-directional fabric tapes. This technical support offered by Mutual
often results in end applications never envisioned before. Mutual's carbon/graphite bi-directional fabric tapes are produced from polyacrylonitrile
(PAN) precursor. This material is surface treated to promote adhesion to organic matrix polymers and is sized with an epoxy or polyimide-compatible material to improve
the handling characteristics. The following chart outlines some of the more important properties and characteristics of Mutual's carbon/graphite bi-directional fabric tapes.
KEVLAR FABRICS
Five times the strength of steel.
KEVLAR is a Du Pont registered trademark for its unique family of aramid fibers that are manufactured into tapes by Mutual. KEVLAR 49, a higher modulus fiber, is woven into
bi-directional fabric tapes for plastic reinforcement of parts. Specific applications of Mutual's Kevlar bi-directional fabric tapes include:
- Plastic reinforcement (epoxy, polyester, vinyl)
- Lightweight marine laminates for kayaks, canoes, and high performance water craft
- Asbestos replacement products
- Aircraft and aerospace parts
- Snow skis
KEVLAR bi-directional fabric tapes by Mutual have the highest specific tensile strengths of any continuous fiber fabric commercially available. They are two and a
half times as strong as "E"-glass, five times as strong as steel, and over ten times as strong as aluminum. Specific tensile modulus of KEVLAR 49 is three times that of
"E"-glass and 75% of high strength graphite. KEVLAR fabric tapes by Mutual display excellent stability over a wide range of
temperatures for prolonged periods. The fabrics will not melt or support combustion but will start to carbonize at about 800 degrees F (427 degrees C). Even at
temperatures as low as -320 degrees F (-196 degrees C), the Kevlar bi-directional fabric tapes show essentially no embrittlement or strength loss. They also have
excellent dimensional stability. Other design properties of Mutual's Kevlar bi-directional fabric tapes include:
- The ability to be combined with most commercially available resins
- The ability to adapt easily to standard processes used with glass fibers
- High stress rupture life
- Excellent cyclic tension fatigue resistance
- Good vibration damping characteristics
FIBERGLASS
Boat, Tooling and Reinforcement Tapes
Mutual's fiberglass fabric tapes are manufactured to conform to the following Government and commercial specifications:
MIL-Y-1140H: |
"Yarn, Cord, Sleeving, Cloth and Tape Glass" |
MIL-C-20079F: |
"Cloth, Glass, Tape, Textile Glass, and Thread, Glass"
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MIL-C-9084-C: |
"Cloth, Glass, Finished, for Resin Laminates" |
MIL-1-24244A: |
(Ships): "Insulation Materials, Thermal, with Special Corrosion
and Chloride Requirements" |
U.S. Coast Guard Subpart 164.009: |
"Incombustible Materials for Merchant Vessels" |
AMS-3824: |
"Cloth, Type "E" Glass, Finished for Resin Laminates" |
ASTM-D-579: |
"Glass Fabric, Woven Tests and Tolerances" |
NEMA VE-40: |
"Continuous-Filament Woven Glass Fabric Used in Flexible
Electrical Insulation" |
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Mutual removes the lubricating sizing applied to fiberglass yarns so that they can
become compatible with most thermosetting resins. This removal process is done by baking the cloth and removing the sizes through burn-off. Many types of chemical
finishes are applied by Mutual after heat treatment. Chemicals used by Mutual in processing fiberglass fabrics are designed to be compatible with thermosetting resins.
This serves to vastly improve resin bonding by chemical bridging.At Mutual the finishing and processing operations, including the application and control
of chemicals, is conducted under strict quality control standards. Finishes applied at Mutual Industries include, but are not limited to: Silane epoxy Synthetic resin weave
set Volan High carbon chain polymer coupling agent. Fiberglass boat, tooling and structural reinforcement tapes are used primarily for "wet
lay-up" applications. To optimize the tape's weetability and cure time characteristics, Mutual fiberglass tapes are manufactured with a fairly open weave. To insure
maximum compatibility between the glass and resin, Mutual uses advanced state-of-the art heat cleaning and finishing equipment. Mutual Plain Weave Fiberglass Tape Specification
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