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A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | J U L Y / A U G U S T
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WORLD’S LIGHTEST SKIS
FEATURE NEW COMPOSITE
Chomarat, France, has reportedly
created the lightest ski on the market
using C-Ply—a multiaxial carbon rein-
forcement produced in its South Caro-
lina facility. Launched in January, the
Mythic 87 line of Dynastar’s (France) skis
uses the new reinforcements. These
backcountry skis were first developed
for competitive skiing, but are now
available for all skiers. C-Ply’s structure
of carbon reinforcement is optimized in
terms of angles, ply weight, and fiber
alignment, enabling an effective bal-
ance between strength and responsive-
ness, as well as high performance and
weight. chomarat.com/en.
BASEBALL FANS PROTECTED
WITH NEARLY INVISIBLE
NETTING
Fans seated close to the action
during Major League Baseball (MLB)
games this year will be protected by
screens extending further down the
foul lines than in past seasons. Fans
in 10 MLB ballparks might not readily
notice the change thanks to barely visi-
ble systems developed and installed by
Promats Athletics, using the Ultra Cross
netting manufactured by NET Systems
made with Black Dyneema material.
Hailed by baseball officials as a
positive change to keep spectators
safe, some fans and groups initially
voiced concern that installing addi-
tional screening would have a nega-
tive impact on the viewing experience.
Ultra Cross is a knotless braided net,
resulting in less obstruction than other
Are you working with or have you
discovered a material or its properties
that exhibit OMG - Outrageous
Materials Goodness?
Send your submissions to
Julie Lucko at
.
OMG!
OUTRAGEOUS MATERIALS GOODNESS
Ultra-light skis fromChomarat feature a multiaxial carbon reinforcement, C-Ply.
Promats Athletics’ netting solution uses
the unique Ultra Cross systemmanu-
factured by NET Systems with Black
Dyneema fiber, which incorporates the
color into the fabric itself. Ultra Cross is a
knotless braided net and is therefore less
obstructive than other nets.
Researchers work with polytetrafluoro-
ethylene, a wear-resistant coating used
on tools andmachinery for energy,
aerospace, automotive, oil and natural
gas, health care, biomedical, and food
industries. Courtesy of University of
Arkansas.
systems. Other systems also require
application of a coating to provide the
black color preferred by most sports
venues. With Black Dyneema, the color
is integrated into the fiber itself. Thus,
the black coloration of Promats’ system
will neither wear away when exposed
to natural elements nor abrade should
protective screens be repeatedly struck
by balls. .
IMPROVING TEFLON’S
TOUGHNESS
Researchers at the University of
Arkansas, Fayetteville, will receive a
$450,000 grant from the National Sci-
ence Foundation to further their study
of a novel approach that significantly
improves wear resistance of polytetra-
fluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings. PTFE is
better known by its trademarked brand
name: Teflon.
“Obviously, PTFE is a great mate-
rial with many wonderful applications,”
says Min Zou, professor of mechanical
engineering. “But its coatings are easily
worn because of their poor adhesion to
substrates, and this severely limits its
applications.”
Zou and Jingyi Chen, assistant
professor of chemistry, are incorpo-
rating polydopamine as an adhesive
underlayer in order to improve wear
resistance of PTFE. This approach will
allow thin, wear-resistant PTFE coat-
ings to be deposited on any substrate
material without changing the under-
lining surface topography. Achieving
this could promote the execution of
a wide range of properties—such as
self-cleaning, anti-fogging, anti-icing,
anti-corrosion, and others—that rely on
surface topography and chemistry for
proper function.
PTFE is used not only in cooking
tools, but also has various applications
in the energy, aerospace, automotive,
oil and natural gas, health care, and
biomedical industries. For more infor-
mation: Min Zou, 479.575.6671,
, .