CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE

CABKOMA CFRTP STRAND ROD

Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd (Japan) and partners Kanazawa Institute of Technology (Japan), Nagase ChemteX Corporation (Japan)

Komatsu Seiren has developed a CFRTP strand rod capable of ultra-high speed moulding at low cost by in-situ polymerizing of a thermoplastic epoxy resin. With the GF-covered CFRTP strand rod, Komatsu Seiren has pioneered new applications for the seismic reinforcement of buildings.

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The rod is lightweight, windable and the best seismic reinforcement material for old wooden Japanese buildings. Since it is non-ferrous, and thus rustproof, it can be used in important cultural landmarks. This rod uses a thermoplastic resin so that it can be easily bent or spliced under heat. When used in infrastructure, a secondary process is possible on the work site, meeting a great need in the building and construction industry.

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The Cabkoma CFRTP strand rod is a strong and flexible rope-shaped composite material that combines traditional Japanese braiding technology with modern carbon fibre technology. One of the product’s innovations is its original covering technology using a braiding technique. Compared to the conventional covering method (winding), it combines high durability and high strength and allows high production rates at low cost.

Another innovation is the in-situ polymerized thermoplastic epoxy resin. Even though it is an epoxy resin, this innovative resin polymerizes linearly, so polymerization (after cure) shows the physical properties of thermoplastics. This resin combines the good adhesion performance of epoxy and the toughness of a linear polymer. It also offers high fibre impregnation since its in-situ polymerization capability enables low-viscosity impregnation before polymerization. In addition, because this resin can be polymerized in the atmospheric air, ultra-high speed production can be achieved with low-cost equipment.