Vectran is a manufactured fibre, spun from a liquid crystal polymer created by Celanese Acetate LLC and now manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd. Chemically it is an aromatic polyester.
Properties
These fibres are noted for thermal stability at high temperatures, high strength and modulus, low creep, 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 as a coating around Vectran core; polyurethane coating can improve abrasion 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 ropes, cables, and advanced composite materials, 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 and twin Mars Exploration Rovers 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 2009 Mars Science Laboratory in the bridle cables. It is also used in the inflatable spacecraft developed by Bigelow Aerospace, the first of which (Genesis I) has been in space since July 12, 2006.
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