New applications for flax in sports products
09/03/2015
For sports materials, flax and hemp reinforcements can help absorb the vibrations inherent to composite materials.
A new generation of archery tournament bows marketed by the South Korean manufacturer WIAWIS has the performance of a composite that combines nanocarbon and flax fibres. It offers 40% optimisation in terms of stability of movement and of vibration reduction, thanks to the incorporation of a flax veil preimpregnated with epoxy resin into a nanocarbon fabric laminate, says CELC.
The Artengo racquet brand also chose flax for its weight reduction and vibration damping advantages, by combining it either with multiple-ply wood, for table tennis bats, or with carbon or glass fibres for tennis racquets.
The use of flax-reinforced composite is also used in skis by Rossignol, Salomon, Wedze and Movement, and in ski poles by Kang. Bic Sport has made surf and paddle boards, while French company IN’BÔ has used the materials in bicycle frame and a skateboard.
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