01/12/06 – Discussions of cost and benefits of various fibers, filaments, weaves, dyes and finishes to solve customer problems happen regularly at Bally.
With regard to Vectran®, forty persons from Bally Ribbon Mills Engineering, Research and Development, Quality and Sales Departments attended Seminars on Vectran® engineering specifications and solutions. Vectran woven by Bally Ribbon Mills offers some solutions and new opportunities in narrow fabrics for certain design requirements.
Vectran® is a high-performance multifilament yarn spun from Vectra® liquid crystal polymer (LCP). Vectran is the only commercially available melt spun LCP fiber in the world. Vectran fiber exhibits exceptional strength and rigidity. Pound for pound Vectran fiber is five times stronger than steel and ten times stronger than aluminum. These unique properties characterize Vectran:
- High strength
- Excellent creep resistance
- High abrasion resistance
- Excellent flex/fold characteristics
- Minimal moisture absorption
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
- High dielectric strength
- Outstanding cut resistance
- Excellent property retention at high/low temperatures
- Outstanding vibration damping characteristics
- High impact resistance
Vectran tends to outperform Kevlar® and other Aramids in:
- Wire rope creep
- Break strength
- Dry and wet abrasion comparisons under load
- Tenacity retention when exposed to bleach
- Yarn on yarn abrasion dry and especially when wet
- Flex fatigue from repeated bending or creasing
- Bend tolerance
- Impact and cut resistance
- Vibration dampening
- Kevlar® and other Aramids tend to outperform Vectran when there is simultaneous mechanical and thermal loading
* Overall performance dependent on environmental conditions and application.
We encourage you to visit the Vectran website, www.vectranfiber.com, and talk to Bally Ribbon Mills further.
For your information, the Kevlar website is www.dupont.com/kevlar. Bally Ribbon also handles Kevlar applications.