Introducing ECOVEIL, our new range of nonwovens, designed with both sustainability and functionality in mind.
ECOVEIL is a new customisable range of highly porous sustainable nonwoven veils which are produced from naturally derived or recycled fibres. These materials have been specifically developed for use in advanced composite structures to improve the finish, fabrication or functionality of a component, simultaneously providing the means to demonstrate environmental responsibility without compromising on performance.
Our ECOVEIL materials are all manufactured exclusively from naturally derived or recycled fibres and the range includes nonwovens produced from jute, recycled carbon, bio-derived polyamide and a modified cellulose acetate which is readily biodegradable. Our polyamide 11 and jute veils also incorporate a shellac binder, meaning that these veils are manufactured entirely from natural materials.
Like our traditional OPTIVEIL range, ECOVEIL nonwovens can be easily integrated into a composite as a surfacing or semi-structural layer and provide a number of solutions for composite applications. Typical uses include enabling a high quality resin rich surface finish, acting as a lightweight adhesive carrier or support, as well as improving resin flow and aiding consistent wet out of the resin during infusion.
Recycled Carbon
Our ECOVEIL range also includes recycled carbon veils, produced from fibre reclaimed from composites. The materials offer properties including electrical conductivity and high temperature & chemical resistance, and can be integrated into a composite structure as a surfacing or semi-structural layer, providing a viable route for the recycling of fibres previously considered as waste.
The new recycled carbon fibre veils and mats offer comparable properties to those manufactured with virgin fibre, with the added benefit of sustainability. The new materials provide the composites industry with the means to demonstrate environmental responsibility without compromising on performance, and have already been used to manufacture components with excellent results.
Jute & Modified Cellulose Acetate
Also part of our ECOVEIL range are jute and modified cellulose acetate (MCA) nonwovens.
The jute fibre is naturally sourced from the stalks of the jute plant, it is biodegradable and recyclable and the nonwoven offers properties including high durability and both thermal and acoustic insulation. The option of a shellac binder also means that a veil manufactured entirely from natural materials is available, although the use of alternative, more traditional binders, is also an option. A typical application for the jute veil is in surface finish, where it can be incorporated at the surface of the composite on top of the structural component. It minimises print through from the underlying reinforcement (for example, woven patterning), ensuring uniform resin uptake to provide a high quality resin rich surface finish with minimum microporosity, reducing the amount of further processing required.
The MCA fibre is manufactured from cellulose which is found in most plants and trees and, unlike standard cellulose acetate, the fibre used has been specially modified to improve it's biodegradability and recyclability. It has been certified to ISO:14851, is carbon balanced and completely biodegradable in aqueous aerobic conditions, demonstrating it's environmental credentials. Once in nonwoven form it provides a number of benefits including thermal insulation and drapeability. Like the jute it can be used as a surfacing veil due to it's even fibre distribution and consistent basis weight. It’s highly porous structure also makes it suitable for improving resin flow in composite vacuum infusion techniques, enhancing resin transportation, removing the need to use additional flow media and ultimately lowering resin usage and scrap.
Polyamide 11
Our bio-derived Polyamide 11 veils offer the same benefits as traditional polyamide veils such as corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. However, rather than being manufactured via the traditional route using fossil fuels, the fibres are manufactured from sustainable castor bean oil. To offer a fully sustainable choice, we manufacture this PA11 veil with a naturally sourced shellac binder, although other binder choices are available to suit the specific application and fabrication requirements.
Our lightweight ECOVEIL polyamide 11 veil is an ideal choice for use as an effective support or carrier for adhesive films and fragile materials. The veil enables the uniform wet out of adhesive, ensuring a defined and consistent film thickness, whilst ultimately improving the resilience and handling of the final product. In addition it's highly porous structure means it can be used to facilitate resin flow during composite fabrication, providing enhanced resin transportation, reducing wet out time and, when used at the surface, it also improves the finish of the composite part.
Interested?
Please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you