PET Foam Cores

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by keith66, Apr 15, 2013.

  1. keith66
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 346
    Likes: 31, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 168
    Location: Essex UK

    keith66 Senior Member

    I have been doing some research & test panels for a rowing Gig project i am doing & have narrowed core selection down to a few choices.
    Either a crosslinked PVC such as Airex C70-75 or an Airex T90-80
    The latter is a PET based core & is attractive as a) its lower in cost, & its claimed to have no outgassing issues & is far more heat resistant.
    This is a real concern as one customer wants a dark coloured hull.
    Anyone have any experience with PET based cores like this, im curious how they fare in service & on a time scale!
     
  2. keith66
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 346
    Likes: 31, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 168
    Location: Essex UK

    keith66 Senior Member

    I laid some more test panels up today with Vinylester & have done some destructive testing.
    Despite the samples being barely 6 hours old so barely cured i cut some strips off & bent them back & forth, Interestingly the T92 exibits far greater resistance to peel than the C70 actually a huge amount.
    I will be working in the college later in the week & have to set up some tensile & impact test equipment for some students. A good oportunity to run some tests on the samples!
     
  3. isvflorin
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 53
    Likes: 2, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 22
    Location: Terra

    isvflorin Junior Member

    Keith,
    how did that PET foam work out in the end ? Are you happy with the tests compared to PVC ?
     
  4. keith66
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 346
    Likes: 31, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 168
    Location: Essex UK

    keith66 Senior Member

    Well quite a lot has happened, the Gig got built in a derelict scout hut & was sold to SCRC, she has proven to be a fine Gig & fulfilled all the designer / builder (me) & Clubs expectations. She was light seaworthy & very fast indeed. She has raced up & down the East coast plus in the Great river race & Ocean to city race in Cork. The handicapping system commonly used tends to place her in the top third of the fleet but on a boat for boat basis there is nothing to touch her.
    Obviously as a club owned boat she is used hard & raced harder but has shown no problems at all. If i was to build another i would definately use Pet core again.
    Heres a link to my blog that chronicles her build during 2013, http://eastcoastrowing.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/seax-gig-building-as-we-go.html .
    The postscript to the tale was that once we bought the derelict building back into use the local council who owned it decided to hike the rent to a level that meant boatbuilding by a one man band was completely unviable so i was forced to pack it in. And so she remains a one off which is a shame. Im now working as a Technician in a school, steady money & i dont have to pay the heating bills!
     

  5. isvflorin
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 53
    Likes: 2, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 22
    Location: Terra

    isvflorin Junior Member

    Great built. Looks like PET worked well for the build. I understand it is lower in shear and compression properties but maybe I have to look at the numbers again.
     
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