Sphere Core Non Woven Polyester

Polyester nonwoven that contains microspheres. Generally used as a thin core (to create bulk) or print blocker (liner) in fibre reinforced laminates, manufactured with Hand Lay-Up or Spray-Up processes. Sphere core mats should always be fully impregnated with resin. The microspheres in core mats prevent excessive resin up-take. Few important advantages are:

Weight Reduction: Used as a core material in the centre of a laminate. It can replace much heavier solid glass layers. Impregnated sphere core has a density of 620 kg/m3, while impregnated CSM (chopped strand mat) has a density of 1,500 kg/m3. This is a weight saving of 60%.

Resin and Glass Saving: 1 mm of sphere core contains 0.6 kg/m2 resin. While, 1 mm of CSM contains 1 kg/m2 resin. Although, sphere core usually replaces glass layers, it should always be used between two layers of glass as core material. A classical example, weight of 3 mm laminate made with 3 layers of CSM 450 gsm is 4.3 kg/m2. Whereas, a 3 mm laminate made with 2 layers of CSM 300 gsm + 1 layer of 2 mm core mat is only 2.8 kg/m2.

Cuts Cost of Production: One layer of sphere core builds up thickness rapidly. Available from 1 mm to 10 mm thickness. While multiple layers of glass fiber are required to achieve these greater thicknesses, single layer of appropriate thickness core mat is sufficient.

Excellent Print Blocker: Gives outmost surface finish as it can be used to block “print-through” of glass reinforcements. Sphere core is most often applied against the “skin coat” to create a superior surface finish on hull sides in boat industry.