Freeze Your Costs, Not Your Composite Components, Says Maker of Epoxy Prepreg

UK firm SHD Composite Materials Ltd. is engaging in the battle against rising energy and transportation costs with its development of an epoxy prepreg system that can be stored at a typical room temperature of 68°F (20°C ) for up to six months.

By eliminating the freezing requirement during transportation and storage, epoxy grade MTB350 offers potential for significant associated cost savings, according to the company. Currently supplied out of SHD’s UK manufacturing site, the epoxy system also provides an environmental benefit — a reduced CO₂ footprint achieved by avoiding frozen shipment and storage coupled with a resin system formulated to include 30% certified biobased content.

Complementing extended room-temperature product life, grade MTB350 is a versatile component system with excellent baseline mechanical performance, service up to 284°F (140°C), and the capacity to “snap cure” at elevated temperatures.

MTB350 also has been optimized to work well in combination with natural fiber reinforcements, such as flax, providing improved handling characteristics and fiber wet-out throughout the full manufacturing process.