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Vectran is a manufactured fibre, spun from a liquid crystal polymer
Liquid crystal polymer

Liquid crystal polymers are a class of aromatic polyester polymers. They are extremely Reactivity and Inert#Chemistry, and highly Flame retardant....
 created by Celanese Acetate LLC and now manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Kuraray

is a Japan manufacturer of chemicals, fibers and other materials based in Tokyo. Founded in Kurashiki-shi in 1926 to produce rayon, it is the world's leading producer of synthetic leather and the sole producer of Vectran....
 Chemically it is an aromatic polyester
Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
.

e fibres are noted for thermal stability at high temperatures, high strength and modulus, low creep
Creep (deformation)

Creep is the tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of stress es. It occurs as a result of long term exposure to levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the material....
, and good chemical stability. They are moisture resistant and are generally stable in hostile environments. They have gold color.






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Vectran is a manufactured fibre, spun from a liquid crystal polymer
Liquid crystal polymer

Liquid crystal polymers are a class of aromatic polyester polymers. They are extremely Reactivity and Inert#Chemistry, and highly Flame retardant....
 created by Celanese Acetate LLC and now manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Kuraray

is a Japan manufacturer of chemicals, fibers and other materials based in Tokyo. Founded in Kurashiki-shi in 1926 to produce rayon, it is the world's leading producer of synthetic leather and the sole producer of Vectran....
 Chemically it is an aromatic polyester
Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
.

Properties

These fibres are noted for thermal stability at high temperatures, high strength and modulus, low creep
Creep (deformation)

Creep is the tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of stress es. It occurs as a result of long term exposure to levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the material....
, and good chemical stability. They are moisture resistant and are generally stable in hostile environments. They have gold color. They are often used in combination with some polyester
Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
 as a coating around Vectran core; polyurethane
Polyurethane

A polyurethane, commonly abbreviated PU, is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic chemistry units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed by reacting a monomer containing at least two isocyanate functional groups with another monomer containing at least two alcohol groups in the presence of a catalyst....
 coating can improve abrasion
Abrasion

In dermatology, an abrasion is a wound caused by superficial damage to the skin, no deeper than the Epidermis . It is less severe than a laceration, and bleeding, if present, is minimal....
 resistance and act as a water barrier. Vectran has melting point of 330 °C, with progressive strength loss from 220 °C. As it has high resistance to ultraviolet radiation, it can be used outside for long term, if inspected regularly.

Usage

They are used as reinforcing (matrix) fibres for rope
Rope

A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength ....
s, cable
Cable

A cable is a large fiber or metal rope, used for hauling, lifting, or towing, or an assembly of two or more insulated electrical conductors, laid up together as an assembly....
s, and advanced composite material
Composite material

Composite materials are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure....
s, professional bike tires, and in electronics applications. Perhaps most notably, Vectran is used as one of the five layers in NASA's current space suit design, and was the fabric used for the airbags on the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder

The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. After a 7-month voyage it landed on Ares Vallis, in a region called Chryse Planitia on Mars, on 4 July 1997....
 and twin Mars Exploration Rover
Mars Exploration Rover

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission mission of exploring Mars , that began in 2003 with the sending of two rover s ? Spirit rover and Opportunity rover ? to explore the Martian surface and geology....
s Spirit and Opportunity missions, which allowed those craft to "soft land" on Mars in 1997 and 2004, respectively. The material is expected to be used again on NASA's 2011 Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory

The Mars Science Laboratory is a NASA rover scheduled to be launched between October and December 2011 and perform the first-ever precision landing on Mars....
 in the bridle cables. It is also used in the inflatable spacecraft developed by Bigelow Aerospace
Bigelow Aerospace

Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. It was founded in 1999 by hotelier Robert Bigelow....
, the first of which (Genesis I) has been in space since July 12, 2006.

Production

Kuraray Co., Ltd. owns 100% of the worldwide Vectran production since 2005 as they acquired the Vectran business from Celanese Advanced Materials Inc. (CAMI), based in South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
, U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...


In 2007 the total capacity of Vectran is about 600 tons/yr, but expanded to 1000 tons/yr in 2008.

See also

  • Polyester
    Polyester

    Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
  • Aramid
    Aramid

    Aramid fibers are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated bulletproof vest cloth, and as an asbestos substitute....
  • Twaron
    Twaron

    Twaron is the brandname of Teijin Aramid for a Aramid....
  • Kevlar
    Kevlar

    Kevlar is the registered trademark for a light, strong aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora.Developed at DuPont in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek it was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires....
  • Carbon_fibre


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