Honey comb materials for composites proyects

2. FOREWORD
We have continuously challenged the traditional thought in core materials, and,
succeeded, judging by the number of industry awards bestowed upon products
incorporating our patented technology. It is possible to obtain high strength, low-weight,
cost-effective core materials; it is also possible to obtain simultaneously high impact
resistance, virtually zero water absorption, high dimensional thermal stability, sound and
thermal insulation ... not surprisingly the competition never wanted you to know it.
It gives us the greatest pleasure to present NIDA-CORE Structural honeycomb,
Nida-Core exclusive RIGID-ELASTIC technology and other associated products and
services offered by Nida-Core Corporation.
It has taken plastic honeycomb technology over 25 years to become a reality - from
initial and isolated laboratory prototypes to a reality of mass produced parts & structures,
serving customers globally. NIDA-CORE Structural honeycomb is in more areas
everywhere, at the core; from the hulls of mega-yachts in the Mediterranean Sea and
passenger ferries in China, to snowboards on the slopes of the French Alps; from
Commercial housing projects in British Columbia and Telecommunication Shelters in
Florida, to Public Transit Buses in California and Brazil … we are proud to say, we have
made it all possible.
Our accomplishments are as of yet unrealized by 50 year old competitors in the industry.
No other core material technology in the world can offer similar versatility. Nida-Core
plastic honeycomb technology (RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY), while being light, tough,
quiet, resilient and at a fraction of the cost of PVC and SAN foams, has made sandwich
composites a reality in applications even when the competing alternative remains
wood.
It is for this reason that Nida-Core Corporation has remained a leader in the supply of
solutions. We are confident that our extensive experience will lend itself to any
application under consideration.
Unlike other catalogues that list the full range of products available from a company
beyond which nothing more can be had, ours is a starting point. Our complete product
list is limited only by available materials and current technology. With your imagination,
your product requirements, and our experience, we can create new products with
benefits answering your needs.
Thank you again. We are looking forward to working with you very soon.
Sincerely,
Damien J.Jacquinet
President

3. CONTENTS
2 Foreword
4 What is RIGID-ELASTIC TECNOLOGY?
7 Why sandwich construction?
9 Design Guidelines
11 Overview of core materials
16 Comparison Table
17 Marine Industry Applications
21 Marine Interiors Applications
22 Architectural Industry Applications
25 Civil Engineering Industry Applications
26 Transportation Industry Applications
28 Decorative Panels
29 Industrial Applications
30 CNC Kit Cutting
31 Wind Energy Industry Applications
32 Tub and Shower Industry Applications
33 Solid Surface Industry Applications
38 NidaCore Structural Honeycombs
40 Balsalite
41 Matline
42 NidaFusion STO and STF
46 NidaBond products
47 Foamline
48 NidaFlow
49 NidaCore FC
50 Nord Composites Tooling Resin
51 NidaFoam Structural Foam Products
56 How to use NidaBond Transom Compound
59 Working with NidaBond
60 Working with Nida-Core
76 Working with Nord Composites Tooling Resin
79 Working with Balsalite
81 Design Details
85 Packaging and Shipping Info
86 Mechanical Data Pages
103 Product options
105 Terms and Conditions
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4. 4 What is Nida-Core Rigid-Elastic Technology?
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer with centerline of an I-beam, low-density core materi-
Visco-elastic properties. Bee-developed honey- als are used throughout the space between two
comb in hexagonal form is one of the most effi- skins. The following schematic demonstrates the
cient structures found in nature. Using complex effectiveness of a honeycomb panel (Al) com-
processing techniques, a proprietary co-polymer pared to a solid aluminum sheet in 1/4-inch thick-
compound of polypropylene can be formed into ness. By using a core material to double the thick-
honeycomb panel stock, resulting in a structure ness, the flexural stiffness is increased seven (7)
with exceptional specific rigidity (stiffness to weight) times at almost the same weight! The mechanical
and energy absorption, while incorporating the
material benefits of visco-elasticity.
Composite sandwich panel constructions using
Nida-Core Honeycomb are the realization of this
RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY.
Honeycombs can be constructed with many dif-
ferent materials. The most common method of
fabrication is adhesive bonding flat sheets of ma-
terial with offset lines of adhesive, and subse-
quently expanding them to open the cells. This
technique is commonly used to used fabricate
honeycomb from paper or aluminum products. By
Note: Skin thickness is the same for all examples and
contrast, honeycombs may be constructed from overall thickness doubles.
thermoplastic materials by extruding profiles
through a die and then joining them by thermal
fusion to form large blocks, which eliminates the efficiency of this cored sandwich can be dramati-
need for adhesives. Regardless of the method cally increased by increasing core THICKNESS.
used, sheet stock can be cut from the large blocks Core materials have one or more intrinsic proper-
of honeycomb in the same fashion as foam or ties that are advantageous for specific applica-
end-grain balsa. However, the sheet stock cut tions, and these properties must be carefully con-
from the extruded profiles will possess mechanical sidered when designing composite structures. Just
properties in the longitudinal and transverse direc- as composite laminates have specific properties
tions of the core that differ from the properties of determined by the selected reinforcements
adhesively bonded and expanded honeycombs. and matrix resins, sandwich panels take on many
Extruded honeycombs, such as Nida-Core H8 PP, additional characteristics that are uniquely deter-
have equal properties in either axis. mined by the selected core material. Distinguish-
Although the use of sandwich construction in ma- ing materials by their respective limitations, includ-
rine applications often has been the subject of ing strain-to-failure, is as important for core as it is
debate, the problems that stimulate the debates for fibers and resins. Elasticity has been an essen-
are typically traceable to early boat designs tial issue in the debate concerning the risks of intro-
that employed inadequate building methods or ducing brittle fibers like carbon, or opting for the
specified the wrong core material for the engi- damage tolerance provided by aramid fibers,
neered load. These isolated incidents, however, such as Kevlar. When it comes to core material, it
are not the norm. The great majority of sandwich is also helpful to compare characteristics in rela-
constructed boats have performed well over the tion to elasticity and damage tolerance. Of the
years. Why is honeycomb sandwich panel con- commonly used core materials, balsa and alumi-
struction used? The primary reason is to maximize num honeycomb are among the least elastic.
the mechanical efficiency of structures to save Polymeric foams demonstrate a wide range of
weight and raw materials. Sandwich panels mimic properties, depending on their specific formula-
the characteristics of an I-beam, using flanges to tions and densities. In general, thermoset polymers
support tensile and compression loads, with a are less elastic than thermoplastics. Urethane-
shear web joining the flanges. Composite skins based foams are thermoset, and are the least
constitute the flange portions of the I-beam. In- elastic of the polymeric foams. PVC foams dem-
stead of using narrow webs, as is done on the onstrate a wide range of elasticity, from blended
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5. 5
“cross-linked” foams to “linear” foams. Of the foam energy in a given frequency range. It also is aided
types commonly used, SAN (Styrene-AcryloNitrile) by the shape of the honeycomb cell, where sound
Foams are the most forgiving, but cost is at a pre- waves bounce from cell wall to cell wall and get
mium. It also is common in foams for the tem- further absorbed by the visco-elastic nature of the
perature resistance to decrease when their elastic- plastic. It should be understood that not all ther-
ity is increased. This is RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOL- moplastics are viscoelastic. Polypropylene, which
OGY. This is Nida-Core. By comparison, Nida-Core is used in Nida-Core H8PP, is visco-elastic and
thermoplastic honeycombs (or RIGID-ELASTIC gives H8PP its unique properties of impact resis-
TECHNOLOGY) have elasticity in the 200 percent tance, resilience and sound damping. The hex-
range! In real-life terms, the better the elasticity, agonal cell form provides the compressive
the greater the IMPACT STRENGTH and derived strength that separates the two skins to maintain
TOUGHNESS. Or, in reverse comparison, the stiffer panel stiffness. Impact loads are dissipated by the
the core material, the better it transfers impact elastic and damped response of the core under
and vibration energy from the side of the impact the skin — a controlled deflection with recovery.
(or outside skin) to the inside skin, thus subjecting This equates to the spring-and-shock-absorber sys-
the inside skin to face buckling, delamination or tem used in automotive suspension. Without the
catastrophic failure. The basic design criterion for damping component, the structure would respond
RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is damage tolerance like a spring and have resonance. Damping indi-
— a measure of the panel’s retention of its struc- cates an energy conversion, or hysteresis. The “Law
tural properties after damage compared with its of the Conservation of Energy” states that energy
undamaged properties. It is considered desirable cannot be created or destroyed; however, you
for core to deform elastically yet remain intact with can convert the energy to another form. In this
the facings. This enables a panel to support a case the kinetic energy of the impact is converted
considerable percentage of its designed dynamic into small amounts of heat as the viscous nature of
loads, despite the damage. In theory, this property the polypropylene provides resistance to deflec-
can be advantageous when parts are designed to tion, as well as to recovery. The damped resilience
be “under-built,” that is, they have the damage permits the use of lower safety factors in designing
tolerance calculated into the part itself, thus sav- structures because they are less prone to catastro-
ing weight and cost. Another important design as- phic failure. Other core materials, such as balsa
pect of RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is its ability to and rigid foams, will be initially stiffer, stiff enough
dampen sound and aid in quieting the structure. to tempt a designer to use thinner laminates. While
One must not confuse the two acoustical phe- they may be more rigid, that very rigidity makes
nomena: sound transmission loss and sound ab- them prone to catastrophic failure under impact
sorption. Sound transmission loss relates to the use because there is no damping or shock absorption.
of sandwich panel as a sound barrier, in which Failure modes in balsa-cored panels include con-
case elastic honeycomb core is not very effective tra-coup de-lamination where a plug of end-grain
in higher frequencies, although it is extremely ef- balsa is dislodged under the impact point, which
fective in lower frequencies. (In the 125 to 150 Hz pushes the opposite skin from the core. Rigid
range of structure-borne vibrations.) Another great foams will demonstrate different failure modes,
plus for all honeycomb sandwiches is great fatigue such as diagonal core ruptures or delaminations
resistance and toughness. By nature of its design, starting in the zone under the point of impact,
a honeycomb’s cells form thousands of small where the core is crushed but the skin recovers.
webs inside the panel, which means that failure These are all forms of brittle failure. Since balsa-
of a web (or even a series of webs) does not inevi- and rigid foam-cored sandwiches are very reso-
tably lead to catastrophic failure of the whole nant, they have, in some cases, demonstrated
panel. catastrophic failure when subjected to operating
The criteria for sound transmission loss is high conditions at their natural harmonic.
weight and low flexural stiffness (just the opposite Sandwich core structures made with thin, high-
of RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY), which is why lead strength skins and H8PP polypropylene honey-
is an effective sound barrier. The visco-elastic na- comb core also demonstrate the desirable
ture of the plastic honeycomb technology
effectively cancels out the sound and vibration ofn
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6. 6
acoustic property of “constrained layer damp- Imitations using parallel fusion of small diameter
ing.” All materials have a “natural harmonic” or a tubes can not match the performance of Nida-
frequency at which they will sympathetically Core, utilize inferior grade plastic compounding
vibrate. Polypropylene’s “natural harmonic” is at that is brittle in cold temperatures and fail unpre-
a very low frequency of 125 to 150 Hz. The nor- dictably as compared to perfect hexagonal
mal “problem hearing range” is 1000 to 3000 Hz. shaped cell cores like Nida-Core Corp ‘s Struc-
Therefore, the material’s natural harmonic is far tural Honeycomb(H8PP and 8HP).
below the “problem hearing range.” The nature HONEYCOMB SUMMARY
of sound is that the lower the frequency, the In short, many claims and counter-claims may be
greater amount of energy is required for the made about which product has the best proper-
sound to be heard. To quantify the difference, ties for a given application. The structural proper-
the amount of energy required for a 50-Hz noise ties that you actually achieve are very dependent
to be noticed is 1 million times that required for on the manufacturing process. You must design
a 3000-Hz noise. This constrained layer damping structures with physical properties based on real
serves to limit the conduction of structure-borne values that the shop can consistently produce.
sound in applications such as bulkheads, decks With elongation exceeding that of any other
and stringer systems in boats, automobile load type of core material, Nida-Core Structural Honey-
floors, sound enclosures and speaker cabinets, comb is the toughest, most resilient core avail-
etc. To prevent conduction of sound from one able. Under stresses beyond its design loads it de-
side to the other in most single-wall applications, forms and stretches; however, it remains intact
either the wall has to have a lot of mass or sub- and, unlike with foams, stress cracks do not travel,
stantial absorbers need to be added on the sur- but remain localized for easy repair. Polypropylene
face. (Sound transmission straight through a wall honeycombs remain a viable core of choice for
is referred to as “airborne” sound, even when a superstructures, floors, bulkheads, stringers and
wall separates, for example, two rooms other- hull sides as well as numerous small composite
wise completely sealed off from one another.) parts and structures. It is difficult to compare core
Bulkheads designed with H8PP successfully re- materials using only he mechanical data. As
duce the sound transmission through damping, noted previously, many other properties must be
where other, heavier construction materials may considered to properly evaluate the overall situa-
resonate sympathetically and pass the sound on tion. While some core materials have certain prop-
to the other side. By thermo-fusing polyester erties that are exemplary, one shouldn’t look at
based scrim cloth with polypropylene-based these isolated properties without taking into ac-
barrier film under-layment, Nida-Core provides a count other aspects, including cost. While most
100 percent bonding surface compatible with cores provide one or two desirable properties,
most resin systems. The dead air space inside only Nida-Core RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is
the cells provides insulation (an R factor of 3.3 designed to provide them all — insulation, stiff-
per inch of thickness) not unlike the double-pane ness, chemical resistance, toughness and light
windows in a modern dwelling. While most cores weight and sound absorption Fully considered,
excel in providing one or two desirable proper- nothing available provides the cost/performance
ties, only Nida-Core RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOL- benefits of RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY from
OGY is designed to provide all of them — insu- Nida-Core.
lation, stiffness, chemical resistance, tough-
ness and light weight —with the added bonus
of sound absorption.
NOT ALL PLASTIC HONEYCOMBS ARE EQUAL!
Only Nida-Core Structural Honeycombs have the
proper hexagonal cell structure. Only Nida-Core
Structural Honeycombs use a proprietary copoly-
mer composition to achieve a superior tem-
perature tolerance/elasticity combination. Only
Nida-Core is extruded in large blocks fused to-
gether without using low-melt polymers.
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7. WHY SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION? 7
Sandwich construction has been well established structure, which still allows movements within the
in the composites industry for well over 40 years. elastic range of its materials. It should further ex-
Naval designers specify sandwich construc- hibit the characteristic to withstand short term over-
tion for much the same reason architects use I- loading without destruction and lasting damage.
BEAMS and trusses: to increase stiffness and Generally, one can encounter unexpected loads
strength while at the same time decrease and stresses by two alternatives. One is to design
weight. The honeycomb core in a sandwich to such a limit that the structure will in every case
laminate acts much the same as the web be many times stronger than the unexpected
in the I-BEAM by connecting the load bear- loads, i.e., the structure would have to be over-
ing skins. The increase in stiffness is directly engineered and be overweight.
related to the height of the web (or thickness A more advanced engineering concept is to
of the core). counter the unexpected loads by a structure,
which, having sufficient mechanical strength and
stiffness, is still in a position to withstand peak loads
without damage of serious consequences to the
structure.
In order to realize this concept, a rigid elastic struc-
ture is a prerequisite design criterion.”
The following advantages of sandwich con-
struction are discussed in this chapter:
Due to the fact that some earlier boats used either
inadequate building methods or the wrong core
material for the engineered load , sandwich
IMPACT STRENGTH
construction is often debated. However these
isolated incidents are not the rule and most A sandwich construction using honeycomb
sandwich constructed boats have performed core with its high degree of resiliency is more
well over the years. impact resistant than a single skin laminate
Famed Composites Pioneer Mr.Brandl writes: with equal or higher weight.
A customer of Nida-Core Corp. in the Caribbean
“The main function of the core material is to distrib- islands had a 65 foot commercial charter boat,
ute local loads and stresses over large areas. Lo- cored entirely with Nida-Core Corp. polypropyl-
cal stresses applied to one side of the sandwich ene honeycomb (less hull bottom), including hull
have only a reduced local effect because the sides, deck and superstructure, scratched and
exposed skin and the core will distribute the loads water damaged during a major hurricane on a
to a larger area of sandwich. Because of this fact, coral reef (damage to the uncored hull bottom
a sandwich structure generally exhibits superior only). Insurance company agreed to write off
behavior under bending, torsion, impact and the boat on condition that customer takes
compression, parallel or perpendicular to the skins. boat out of service and does not attempt to
Beside its function of a spacer and connecting unit repair it. The charter boat operator agreed to
between the skins, a core material for boat build- dismantle the boat and discard of it. Using one
ing must therefore exhibit enough resilience to ab- of the marina’s cranes, they hoisted the 50,000 #
sorb impact stresses. Its ability to cushion and ab- boat 50 feet in the air and dropped it onto
sorb shocks in alternating stresses and torsion concrete parking lot, hoping that they would
loads, passing from skin into the core, as they oc- so be able to collect the pieces and discard
cur in a boat under practical conditions, is a nec- of them in the dumpster. To much of their as-
essary requirement of the core. Such dynamic tonishment the boat remained completely in-
stresses as well as impacts, should the core not be tact, with no visible structural damage. They
resilient, can result in severe damage and even- repeated the procedure continuously for 3 days to
tual destruction of the entire structure. no avail. To accomplish their mission they had
A boat or ship should, with all required stability and no other alternative than to rent a chainsaw to
homogenous stiffness, not be an inflexible struc- cut the boat into pieces. Although, somewhat
ture. It should be a mechanically stabilized extreme of an example, it clearly indicates
the superior nature of Nida-Core cored
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8. 8
sandwich construction in boats.
The increase in impact strength, as compared
VIBRATION DAMPING/ SOUND
to single skin laminates is better demonstrated ATTENUATION
if one sees the core as a shock absorber that
evenly supports the outside skin from impacts With is natural harmonic of 125-150 Hz polypro-
and protects the inside skin, while still having pylene is known for its excellent vibration
enough elasticity to maintain the bond line damping /noise absorption properties. Almost all
between the core and the skins. of our customers, after switching from a differ-
Experience shows that although sandwich con- ent core material, have notified us that
struction is not completely puncture proof it they have noticed a significant change in
significantly increases skin penetrating puncture boats being quieter. Noise and vibration travel
resistance. well through a single skin laminate. Boats with
cored hulls are simply quieter. Balsawood and
The more brittle cross-linked PVC and SAN brittle foams transfer noise energy directly
foams would simply crumble and shear under through the laminate. Polypropylene and some
a severe impact, whereas polypropylene hon- more elastic foams dampen the noise energy
eycomb cored structures would be locally due to their elastic nature.
damaged, however the core structure would
be intact and cells, although elongated would
still keep their structure and shape, ready to THERMAL INSULATION
absorb or withstand more impacts and com-
pression. Thermal insulation in vessels must be consid-
ered: as most often the boat sits in water
much colder than the ambient temperature,
COST & WEIGHT condensation forms, leaving the vessel stained
and allows the mildew to form. Sandwich con-
Weight affects different modes of transportation in struction significantly aids in eliminating the
a different way. For instance, sailboats, extra condensation and associated bilge water. The
weight does not automatically translate into cored insulating layer coincidentally eliminates
higher operating cost, but affects performance. the need for highly flammable spray-in polyure-
In full displacement type sailboats cored hulls thane .
can aid in insulation, lower cooling/heating
costs. In power boats up to 20’ in length, the
effects of sandwich construction can be mar- DISPLACEMENT BOATS
ginal, as weight advantages can be achieved
by alternate means. But as the boats get big- There seems to be a general misconception
ger the, weight becomes increasingly more that displacement and commercial boats
important, as the weight translates directly into must be solid , since weight is not the primary
extra cost of pushing the extra mass and the concern. One should not confuse solid with tough
initial extra cost of sandwich construction is and strong. Since properly designed sandwich
quickly overcome. As the weight get lighter, construction significantly aids in impact
boats will get improved range, need less strength when compared to the single skin
power, can carry more cargo or people and (solid) laminates we believe that sandwich
need less tankage, thus improving interior construction would significantly aid in general
space. Therefore the cost of the sandwiched safety of displacement vessels. The arguments
boat, when compared to the single skin solid for using composite sandwich construction are
laminate boat, becomes a very cost-effective overwhelming. There are no good reasons for
approach at over long term operating ex- using single skin fiberglass construction that can
penses. not be countered with better reasons for using
a tough resilient core material.
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9. DESIGN GUIDELINES 9
whole, not just a section of it, as many of our
THE CLUB SANDWICH competitors are trying to convince you.
In early 1960s and 1970s, a lot of boats
In yachts over 60 feet club sandwich ap- were built with an early version of PVC linear
proach, where a single extra layer of fiberglass foam, with ultimate shear strength of around
is added between the two layers of core, is 94 psi. Several of these boats are still in service
often utilized. This is one of the most effective and have been obviously very successful de-
ways to utilize the properties of polypropylene signs.
honeycombs since due to its nature, honey- The faulty presumption that shear strength is
the key design parameter is simply not true
and mostly elaborated by core manufacturers
that lack in other areas of performance. When
designing structures using polypropylene honey-
combs, one must remember that there is a
significant difference in the value of the stress
and strain at yield than there is at shear ulti-
mate. Polypropylene honeycomb can stretch
and carry loads without failure after the yield
comb shear properties are reduced when point, so that the value at ultimate shear is still
thickness of the core is increased beyond a higher than at yield. Most PVC cross-linked
certain limit. By utilizing two thinner layers of foams have shear elongation only 15-20% and
honeycomb versus one thick layer of honey- PVC linear foams have shear elongation be-
comb, one will significantly increase the over- tween 40-80%. Polypropylene honeycombs ex-
all performance of the laminate. Additionally, ceed even that figure by a large margin. It is best
even when the outside skin is punctured or demonstrated by holding a small piece of
ripped, the middle and inside skins will remain core and attempting to bend it over a small
intact, and the vessel will most certainly main- radius pipe.
tain its watertight ability. Cross-linked PVC foams will simply snap in half
whilst you can repeatedly do the bending for
hours without any effect on polypropylene hon-
SHEAR PROPERTIES eycomb.
ABS and other classification society rules base one
Shear strength is used as one of the input of the criteria for design on the ultimate shear
factors to determine the sandwich laminate strength.
thickness. Although important, it should be A thorough designer must therefore consider
noted that laboratory tests regarding shear the most important test for core materials –
properties do not do justice so some of the Shear strain in %, or shear elongation after the
materials, primarily honeycomb. Since ASTM test yield point (ISO 1922) which most accurately
standards for testing for SHEAR Ultimate spec- determines the degree of toughness for a spe-
ify a core sample size, essentially a thin strip cific core. It is not important whether one uses
of material that is then loaded and measure- the shear yield or shear ultimate value in design,
ment taken. If composite structures and primar- what is important that based on these figures,
ily boats were thin strips of sandwich laminate, appropriate safety factors are built in.
this test results would directly translate into real For polypropylene honeycomb one can design
world. Fortunately, what one should look at, much higher up the elastic curve because the
when considering honeycomb laminates, is factor of safety is in the balance of the elastic
large panel performance and shear elonga- range of the curve, and then in shear elongation
tion. Honeycombs in general do not work well in after yield. We are not saying here that suc-
thin strips, since the panel is crimped from the cessful designs can not be made with cross-
edges and honeycomb cells do not work linked PVC or Balsawood, with inherently low
properly at edges when structure is broken. A shear elongation factors, simply the shear stress
structure should be evaluated as a must be in the lower portion of the curve and
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10. 10
not too close to the yield. However, even the lightweight sectional construction, using pins to
balance of the elastic range of the curve is sel- hold adjoining sections together.
dom sufficient under severe impacts. A series of tests were conducted to deter-
Primary focus should be stiffness, while at the mine the laminate suitability for such a blast
same time ensuring there is an adequate chamber. The test fixture consisted of 24” di-
safety margin to fall back on. If the structure is ameter open end steel blast chamber with (3)
stiff enough, the stresses are usually low. However, ½” holes for chamber venting and detona-
stiffness without damage tolerance is not a tion charge wiring installations.
desirable criteria. A laminated Nida-Core polypropylene honey-
comb panel with Kevlar(KB125X2) and DOW
Several different sources have been used to Derakane vinyl ester resin on both sides circular
obtain criteria for composites boat construc- 28” panel was mechanically attached to the
tion. Some are adaptations of wood designs open end of the cylinder by the 5/8” thick
with interchangeable single skin fiberglass aluminum ring and (4) ¾” thick bolts at 21”
equivalent. Several criteria is derived from centers.
equivalent designs using metallic materials ,
primarily aluminum. This criteria seems to work
well with some older types of core materials
but are lacking when it comes to NEW core
materials such as polypropylene honeycomb,
especially when thinner skins are used.
Most design criteria lacks in areas where
stresses beyond normal loads are applied.
The primary goal of most Naval Architects is 1. An 5 gram explosive charge of C-4 was
to design a structure with adequate stiffness, set off inside that cylinder.
resistance to buckling and impact tolerance. All A sample was removed and cut into 4 quarters.
of these criteria are achievable with Nida-Core NO VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS DETECTED
Structural Honeycomb. 2. An 10 gram explosive charge of C-4(plastic)
was set off inside that cylinder, the test speci-
It must be also reminded that the basis of men was removed and cut into 4 quarters
most design criteria nowadays when it comes and inspected for damage. Again, NO VISBLE
to core thickness is from era before multi-axial DAMAGE OR DELAMINATION OCCURRED.
stitched reinforcements, which are generally 3. An 15 gram explosive charge of C-4 was set
higher in STRENGTH and STRONGER but not as off inside that test cylinder. The test specimen
THICK and therefore not quite as STIFF. Multi- was removed and cut into 4 quarters and
axial stitched reinforcements are ideally suited inspected 15 grams of explosive C-4 is equivalent
for sandwich construction, since skins provide to 19.2 grams of TNT Specimen shows no de-
the strength and the core material provides lamination, 5/8” thick aluminum ring is deformed
the thickness, and therefore also STIFFNESS. between 2.5 and 3.5 inches, ¾ “ bolts are
deformed and must be sawed off. Preliminary
data analysis indicated the following:
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES 1. Incident shock: 112 psi
2. Reflective shock load (multiple):220 psi
In the early 1990’s Sandia National Laborato- It was concluded that acoustic transmission
ries in Albuquerque , NM conducted a series of showed no delamination damage to the speci-
tests to determine the best suited material for men. Same tests with alternative core materials
the construction of their planned blast cham- (like balsawood) showed catastrophic damage
ber for laboratory test purposes. Existing to the specimen. It was concluded, based on
chambers were made of steel, were expensive this test that Nida-Core was most suited core
to maintain, and most importantly were hard material for construction of lightweight modular
and time consuming to reload. blast chamber for Sandia National Laboratories.
Sandia engineered a blast chamber with
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11. OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS CORE MATERIALS 11
A general overview of various core materials requirements structures or localized parts of
used within the boat building industry is pre- structures.
sented in this chapter. Although no core material
is the answer to every possible application, this Urethane Foam-Filled Honeycomb
chapter will highlight the various aspects of
different core materials widely used in the Poly Urethane foam-filled honeycombs, such as
composites industry. A table In the end of this (Nida-Core Corp’s Tecnocore brand) combine the
chapter (page 16) lists the various comparative best of both technologies: foam and honey-
properties. comb. By itself, each of these core materials
have some significant drawbacks: Paper honey-
End grain Balsawood comb is difficult to process, since it lacks
bonding surface (unlike Nida-Core PP honey-
End grain Balsawood ,(such as Nida-Core Bal- comb) and foams are generally brittle and
salite) started to become a widely used core ma- friable with low compression and chemical re-
terial in the early 1960’s when the end grain sistance values and their failure mode is often
configuration was introduced. catastrophic. By combining these technologies,
Additional
Balsawood is exceptional in static laboratory tests. foam-filled honeycomb has optimized the rela- references:
The perpendicular end grains form a structure tionship between honeycomb and polyurethane
not unlike a miniature honeycomb, achieving a foam. The drawbacks of foam-filled honeycomb
maximum compression strength of any core are often inconsistent density and cost due Page 40;43;
material available. The high compression values to complicated manufacturing process. 88;101
contribute significantly to the stiff nature of
sandwich panels built with balsa. SAN Foams
Balsawood also exhibits exceptional Shear val-
ues. Unfortunately these values presented are SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile) , a thermoplastic resin,
based on laboratory tests featuring a ½” thick based linear foams (like Corecell) have been
panel, where balsa is at its peak in shear val- successfully used in composite sandwich con-
ues. Shear values are reduced SIGNIFICANTLY struction. Typically, SAN foams exhibit higher
where thickness is increased. mechanical properties than equivalent PVC
Another weakness of balsa is the impact toler- and urethane foams.
ance, since being a stiff material, impacts are Albeit at a much higher cost, SAN foams exhibit
readily transmitted from the outside to the in- good toughness characteristics, however, as
side skin, the end grain splitting easily, thus with all foams, the failure mode , when reach-
delaminating the inside skin without detection ing its ultimate stress is catastrophic , resulting
of damage on the gel coat side of the sand- in 45 degree crack propagating easily as
wich. The void between the inner skin and the core sandwich panel continues to flex. Once the
will collect condensation which will eventually result failure occurs, the foam does not return to its
in severe water damage to the core itself. Even original state of mechanical properties.
when the damage stays localized as opposed
to foams, where damage travels parallel to the Urethane Foams
skins, reaped impact in the same area can
result in a catastrophic failure of the sandwich Urethane foams are often mistakenly com-
structure. Since balsa is a light weight wood with pared to polyisocyanurate foams, which are
low resistance to water vapor and humidity it is widely used in marine construction, even if they
always dependent on proper manufacturing or were developed for mobile home insulation
repair techniques. Generally, a balsa cored boat applications due to their higher fire resistance
will require more maintenance and care as properties and higher heat tolerances. Com-
compared to some alternative materials. Balsa pared to straight polyurethanes (like Nida-Core
behaves well in a fire since it retains its struc- Corp’s Foamline brand), polyisocyanurate (like
tural load carrying ability in a fire for much Nida-Core Foamline 2# density foam) foams are
longer period than foams. Balsa is best suited much more friable and can degrade over
for non-dynamic, high compression time.
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12. 12
Polyurethane foams have been widely used in and shear easily under impact, whereas
boat building and composite structures since delamination also occurs parallel to the
mid 1960’s and next to plywood, probably bond line. Cross-linked PVC foams are also
more boat transoms have been successfully critically close to temperature tolerance gen-
built with polyurethane foams than with any erally produced by polyester resins. The au-
other core material. thor of this manual has often witnessed PVC
Contrary to some misguided marketing efforts foams damaged and softened by combina-
polyurethane high density foam remains as tion of styrene vapors and heat from exo-
one of the most suitable applications for boat therm of polyester resins.
transoms. Polyurethane foams exhibit excep-
tional chemical (styrene) resistance and heat Several cross-linked PVC manufacturers are
tolerance (up to 250F) and actually improves its adding plasticizers to the resin blend which
mechanical properties with age. Its weaknesses can cause problems in the future since
include catastrophic failure under ultimate plasticizers tend to migrate out of the foam
shear stress, therefore it is not suitable for dy- over time, leaving behind a different foam
namically loaded structures such as boat hull than the structure was originally engineered
sides and decks. around. Outgassing is another problem with
cross-linked PVC foams. Since PVC foams are
noted for their low heat tolerance, outgassing
Plastics are divided into can become a significant problem where
twogroups:”thermoplasti- dark colored laminates are used. The unpre-
cs” and “thermosets”. Ther- dictable phenomenon, outgassing, occurs
moplastics are linear, when foam is heated and CO2 is formed
whose long, string like within the foam, which in turn tries to force
molecular chains are itself out and tends to push the outside skin
arranged in a random away.
amorphous fashion
Cross-linked PVC foams are manufactured by
and can move relative to each other when expanding in a water steam chamber.
heated and stay in their new position when Since the di-isocyanate component in the
cooled. Thermoplastics can be repeatedly ther- PVC foams needs a water molecule for the
moformed. Cross-linked PVC foam is thermoset. chemical reaction (generally described as
Cross-lined foams have anchor points between water-blown) as opposed to CFC blown.
molecular chains, which result in higher stiff- Lower density foams are stored for short pe-
ness but less toughness. Thermosets, because of riod in a temperature and humidity con-
the cross-linked structure, normally have a trolled environment for aging, higher density
higher heat distortion temperature than thermo- foams require more time for cure/
plastics. polymerization. Fully cured PVC foam does not
normally outgas.
CROSS-LINKED PVC FOAMS
LINEAR PVC FOAM
Thermoplastics and thermosets can be blended,
and the molecular strings can therefore be Linear PVC foams (like Airex) have been suc-
anchored too a certain degree. When thermoset cessfully used in various forms since mid
resins (usually di-isocyanate) is blended into PVC 1950’s. Even when linear PVC foams exhibit
resins, a foam with increased mechanical lower mechanical properties than cross linked
properties, higher heat distortion properties and PVC’s, in real life situations linear PVC foams
better solvent resistance is created. However the offer one of the best damage tolerance
created foam (like Klegecell, Airlite) have its short- and toughness in foams, making it ideally
comings: elongation of these foams is often only suitable for boat hull construction where
10-20% versus 50-80% for the linear foams. Also- repeated impacts are a way of life . In gen-
resulting brittleness lowers the impact resistance eral terms it makes the hull go over the
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13. 13
waves like a rubber band as opposed to stiff At around 8am it was believed that the fire was
cored structure where it cuts through the under control, but sometime around 10am, the
waves. Its ultimate failure modes are much fire flared up again, much more intensive than
more suitable for dynamically loaded structures before, and it became necessary to evacuate the
as it boasts 50-80% elongation factors. remaining seven crewmembers and continue fire-
The resistance to chemicals (styrene) is limited fighting from the other ships. The safe-zone around
and one must be very careful with implement- the hulk was extended to one nautical mile, as the
ing proper shop procedures and using proper ship carried 1500 20mm rounds and 4000
resins/adhesives. 12.7mm MG-rounds, which apparently were cook-
A major drawback for linear PVC foams is its ing off - numerous small explosions being re-
inherent lack of temperature tolerance, making ported. The ship's fuel tanks, reportedly holding
it virtually unsuitable for marine superstructure around 60 tons of Marine Diesel Oil, were also on
construction where mechanical properties can fire, and the navy decided to let this burn - there
suffer from repeated heat cycles endured in are several fish-farms in the area, which would be
marine environments. hit hard if the fuel-oil leaks, so it was considered
better to just let it burn out. The fire proved impossi-
ble to put out, as it had spread to the composite
hull itself, and in time, to the entire ship. It was the
burning composite materials in the hull which
caused the main problems, but additional prob-
lems were caused by part of the vessel's construc-
tion also being aluminum. At around 3 pm the
navy had given up hope of saving the ship, and
the burning hulk was moved to a location with
At around 7am local time on Tuesday November shallow water (roughly 25 metres/82 feet). The hulk
19, 2000 a fire broke out by the lifting-fans near was still reported as burning at midnight, Norwe-
the engine-room of the Norwegian Alta-class air- gian time. The minesweeper had been burning
cushion catamaran minesweeper KNM Orkla. The steadfastly for 24 hours when she capsized early in
vessel was off the west coast of More og Romsdal the morning of November 20. By dawn, the wreck
when it sent out an emergency signal and civilian was still floating, but was slowly slipping under the
vessels were soon on the spot, immediately sea, with only part of the bow sticking up above
evacuating 26 of the 33 strong crew. The fire took the surface. By noon on the 20th it had sunk com-
only seven minutes to engulf the bridge; appar- pletely. The Navy hopes to be able to salvage the
ently the flames spread through the funnel. The wreck, so they can examine her to determine the
CO and six others remained onboard to fight the cause of the explosive spread of the fire. It is be-
fire. As the minesweeper took part of the Norwe- lieved that there is little left to salvage in the vessel,
gian naval exercise Flotex 02, which involved the which had a price tag of US$50 million when new
majority of the Norwegian navy, it was possible to in the early 1990s. The reason the vessel stayed
dispatch a number of naval vessels to the area, afloat for so long, is believed to be the construc-
including three MTBs keeping the area clear of tion with double hull and flotation-elements. The
civilian traffic and establishing a safe-zone, the fires are now out, but there has been observed a
MTB-force tender KNM Valkyrien, the frigate KNM film of oil on the water surrounding the wreck; vari-
Bergen, acting as command-ship for the rescue- ous vessels from the coast-guard and lifeboat-
and firefighting-operation, and the large coast- service are present with equipment for cleaning
guard-vessel KV Svalbard. oil-spills. It is at present believed that there will be
little oil left in the wreck, and that all the heavier oils
are gone. The crew of 33 was kept for observation
for 24 hours at a hospital, as it was believed the
smoke from the fire may have contained both
chlorine-gas and cyanide-gas. One person
needed minor treatment for injuries to back and
neck, but it is believed that none will have
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14. 14
problems related to the smoke. It should be degrade with coincidental damages in marine
stressed that the extremely rapid - almost explosive or outdoor environment. Paper honeycombs
- spread of the fire is not directly related to the use are better left to the packaging industry, espe-
of GRP as a hull construction material. While ex- cially in untreated form.
perience with shipboard fires in solid GRP ships is Aluminum honeycombs are unsuitable in most
limited, that which is available to date shows that marine related industries due to its processing
solid GRP actually acts as a fire-retardant, limiting costs and materials used. Another problem is
the spread of fire and insulating surrounding com- that aluminum honeycomb bond line is limited to
partments from transmitted heat. The culprit in the a small area-the thin cell wall. A small resin ring
case of the Orkla is the use of a sandwich material has to form around each cell to “grab” the core,
which appears to act as a fire accelerant, as well so creating the bond. This is achieved with adhe-
as giving off large clouds of choking smoke and sive films in aerospace industry. In the aircraft in-
toxic gas. The fire on the Orkla vindicates the deci- dustry, aluminum honeycombs are used exten-
sion of the Royal Navy and other designers to use sively, mainly due to the reason that there are
solid GRP (precisely because of its much greater no foams that can withstand the extreme
fire resistance) and ignore the siren calls of those process temperatures required to produce
promoting the "more advanced" composite con- parts for the aerospace industry.
struction. While the loss of Orkla is tragic, it does
come at a timely moment. The same composites POLYPROPYLENE STRUCTURAL HONEYCOMB (RIGID-
used in her construction that have burned so dis- ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY)
astrously are being extensively promoted for future
construction on the grounds that they allow the Polypropylene material is noted for its inherent
construction of ships with a very low radar cross toughness, extreme chemical resistance and
section. The Swedish Visby class and the new Nor- elongation. Polypropylene honeycomb (like Nida
wegian FAC Skjold both use these materials as Core PP) is based on the design principle that, in
their primary hull construction materials and it can bending, the largest part of the load is carried
be assumed that they are every bit as vulnerable near the extreme fibers of the beam, and very
to fire as the poor Orkla. The same materials have small bending stresses are developed near the
been promoted for use in future US Navy construc- neutral axis. This principle is best illustrated by an
tion, particularly with regard to the DD(X) destroyer analogy with the I-BEAM theory: The facing or skin
and the newly-emerging Littoral Combat Ship. This material of a sandwich panel acts as the flanges
raises a question; these are all ships that are in- of an I-BEAM and the core is equivalent to the
tended to go in harm's way. If a simple engine web. Therefore, extremely strong lightweight panels
room fire can cause a disastrous conflagration can be made by using high strength materials as
resulting in the loss of the ship, what will happen facings (like fiberglass) and lightweight low cost
when surface combatants using these materials HONEYCOMB as the core. As with I-BEAMS, the
get hit by things that are designed to explode and thicker the core (web), the greater the resistance
cause fires? Explosive weapons cause fires in the to bending and the longer the distance that the
ships they hit; that is a given. Even for steel ships beam or panel can span Some honeycombs
fire is perhaps the deadliest danger they face - have different mechanical properties values for
how much more so for a ship whose very hull can length and width direction due to the fact
be burned to the waterline? Perhaps the loss of the that core is weaker against or parallel to the
Orkla is a salutary lesson that will come in time to glue line. Extruded (like Nida-Core PP) honey-
save other navies from exposing themselves to the combs are equal in both direction since they
risk of such losses. are not glued like traditional honeycombs.
Manufacturers of core materials make many
PAPER and ALUMINUM HONEYCOMBS claims and counterclaims about which product
has the better properties. The structural proper-
Even though paper honeycombs are widely ties that you actually achieve are also very
used in composites industry, mainly due to its dependant on the manufacturing process. You
cost, the author of this manual does not be- must design structures with physical properties
lieve it is practical to use material so easy to based on real values that the shop can pro-
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15. 15
duce consistently. With elongation exceeding
that of any other type of core material, poly-
propylene honeycomb is the most resilient,
toughest core available. Not affected by
water, chemical agents used in composites
industry, and due to its thermo fused (not
glued) scrim with its but remains intact and
unlike foams stress cracks do not travel, but
remain localized for easy repair. Polypropyl-
ene honeycombs can easily be thermo-
formed or vacuum-bagged in place without
the need for scoring in many instances, unlike
foams. Polypropylene honeycombs remain a
viable core of choice for superstructures,
floors, bulkheads, stringers and hull sides as
well as numerous small composite parts and
Additional
structures. references:
It is difficult to compare core materials using
the mechanical data only. Many other prop-
erties are necessary to properly evaluate Page 52;99;
the overall situation. The following table was Nida-Core H8PP with lauan veneer skins subjected to bending 100
created to show that a core material for past ultimate tensile failure point of lauan skin. Top skin failure
use in composites construction must be only, bottom skin intact and no failure within core.
evaluated using a multitude of properties.
While some core materials have certain
properties that are exemplary, one shouldn’t
look at these properties alone without taking
the other aspects into account.
PET Foam (Polyethylene terephthalate)
PET foam (like NidaFoam) has high elongation and
superior adhesion resulting in good impact and fa-
tigue strength. The foam can be formed at room
temperature to simple shapes and be thermo-
formed to more complex 3-dimensional parts. A
high temperature resistance allows short processing
cycles with fast curing resin systems, including ther- Nida-Core H8PP 20 mm +18 oz WR panel shows
moplastic fiber reinforced skins making it very suit- almost no deflection with 200 lb point load at 48” span.
able for mass-produced light-weight sandwich
structures subjected to both static and dynamic
loads in service. Good resistance against weak
bases, weak acids as well as against most current
solvents: alcohol – acetone – perchlorethylene. Lim-
ited resistance – check in each case – against
strong mineral acids. NidaFoam does not emit any
corrosive gases, even when burned, unlike PVC
foams, NidaFoam does not emit gases that contain
halogen such as hydrochloric acid. Excellent
closed cell ratio, water and resin absorption
comparable to PVC, PU and SAN foams.
Kraft paper honeycomb+18 oz WR at same point
load shows catastrophic failure at bond line.
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16. 16 CORE MATERIAL EVALUATION COMPARISON TABLE
(Scale 1-10, 10 being the best, 1 the worst)
Balsawood Linear Cross- SAN Nida Plywood PET Foams Honeycomb
PVC linked foams Fusion (NidaFoam) Polypropylene
PVC STO-PU 35
Closed cell 3 10 10 10 9 3 8 8
structure
Resistance to 3 8 8 8 9 1 9 10
fresh/salt water
Resistance to 2 9 9 8 8 2 8 5
water vapor
transmission
Resistance to 7 6 6 6 9 1 9 10
gasoline /
diesel fuel
Resistance to 10 4 6 6 9 10 9 10
styrene
Out gassing 10 10 1 9 6 10 9 10
tendency
Compression 10 4 8 6 8 10 6 6
Strength
Flexural 6 4 6 8 6 8 4 4
Modulus
Shear Strength 9 8 7 7 7 10 4 3
Impact 5 10 3 8 8 9 5 10
Strength
Fatigue 3 3 7 9 8 9 3 9
Strength
Resistance to 8 10 2 6 9 9 6 9
crack propa-
gation
Heat distortion 10 3 6 4 6 10 7 4
temperature
Thermal Insula- 5 7 8 6 8 5 7 5
tion
Damping 4 5 4 5 5 2 4 10
Characteristics
Burning Char- 8 5 5 4 4 1 7 3
acteristics
Smoke/Toxic 8 3 3 3 3 4 9 7
Emissions
Versatility in 5 2 5 5 3 5 5 5
boat building
Weight 5 8 7 8 8 1 6 8
Price 9 5 6 3 10 5 5 10
TOTALS 130 124 117 123 135 114 130 146
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17. MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS 17
80 x 30 ft excursion catamaran "Excellence" in Antigua, Nida-Core H8PP used in the construction of this USCG
designed by Howard Apollonio, and built by Atlantis approved commercial joyride speedboat ”THRILLER”
Yachts. Nida-Core was used in all decks, bulkheads,
stringers, cabin,hullsides and flying bridge components.
Nida-Core 8HP is ABS and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Sailing catamaran constructed using NidaFusion STO
Approved, as well as US Coast Guard approved for Triangulated pin infusion core.
use as a primary flotation device.
This Army Corps of Engineers Research vessel benefited from Nida-Core was used extensively for this 120’ plus motor yacht, including con-
Nida-Core Polypropylene honeycomb that was exclusively used struction of stringers and floors. Benefits included improved headroom due to
the stiff nature of sandwich panels cored with Nida-Core polypropylene
in the construction of superstructure. Switching from aluminum
honeycomb and superior noise and vibration dampening qualities
construction, the builder noticed a significant reduction of noise That aided the manufacturer to meet the stringent demands of her owner.
levels inside the vessel (from 75db to 45db).
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18. 18 MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb is used ex-
Patrick Haworth of Montreal, Canada, a 2003 hydroplane
tensively in this Club Med Resorts catamaran dive boat in the
class champion found it necessary to use Nida-Core H8PP
Caribbean Islands, from the hull to superstructure. Again, the
Structural Honeycomb in the hull (including bottom), deck,
vessel benefits from Nida-Core exceptional sound dampen-
bulkheads, stringers for a good reason; few other core
ing properties, making the day trips enjoyable in this quiet
materials would be able to withstand the stresses result-
boat. Additionally, the weight savings resulting from the
ing from racing the 5’ offshore waves at more than
use of sandwich construction, enable the craft to utilize
100 miles per hour. None would give the crew a piece of
smaller motors and bigger fuel tankage, giving the vessel
mind. Special thanks go out to Mr. Duff Daly, on his multiple
extended range.
wins on the GP circuit with his Nida-Core cored Hydroplane
boat (Not shown).
Here is a fine example of a 120’ Mega-yacht hull tooling, built by
master mold makers Vectorworks in Titusville, FL, fully vacuum bag
cored with Nida-Core Structural polypropylene honeycomb High speed passenger ferry constructed in China utilizing
(38 mm or 1.5” thickness). Result is increased stiffness, reduced Nida-Core H8PP construction throughout.
resin and fiberglass consumption, excellent long term structural
stability.
Hovercraft club of Michigan sent us this gorgeous picture of Every offshore salt water fisherman’s dream –Marlago 35 by Jefferson’s Yachts,
is cored with resilient Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb, enabling the
their newest hovercraft, constructed with Nida-Core H8PP vessel to withstand the extreme stresses experienced by the structure ,while
Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb’s impact resistance and pounding waves at more than 50 miles per hour. Honeycomb sandwich structure
sound and vibration dampening qualities are especially encompasses hull, deck, and stringers. Marlago has a reputation for building
semi-custom world class fishing boats second to none.
useful in these applications.
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19. MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS 19
J.D.Power and Associates, a prestigious market survey company, This fabulous Jefferson Yachts 82’ is cored with Nida-Core H8PP
awarded Cobalt Boats an “Excellence in Customer Satisfaction” in the hull, deck, superstructure, bulkheads and interior cabi-
Award in 2001. Cobalt Boats used Nida-Core H8PP honeycomb netry. Its flawless navy hull exhibits high gloss, print-through free
in the decks and small parts production as well as hull sides finish. Jefferson’s customers compliment the builder on the
on certain models. Cobalt Boats is considered a leading man- exceptionally quiet and vibration free characteristics of this
ufacturer of runabouts, surely aided by its innovative designs. yacht as compared to her competition.
Lambada Yachts, hull and deck cored with Nida-Core h8PP Nida-Core H8PP being installed in the hull side of a large
since 1989 exhibits exceptional time tested structural integ- motor yacht. Large sheetsize(48”X84”) availability in scored or
rity, ensuring high resale value and continued demand for plain greatly reduces gaps and seams normally associated
its successors. with small sheet installations.
Matrix Catamarans of South Africa relies heavily on Nida- Nida-Core H8PP Scored, being installed in a marine part.
Core H8PP cored construction throughout this expedition Typically, scored side is placed down into the NidaBond Core
grade yacht. Her owners will appreciate the subdued, Bonding Compound. Only a light wet out is needed on the
muffled generator and motor vibrations, even the serenity of topside as barrier film under the thermo fused scrim cloth limits
muffled footsteps while walking on the main deck, all resin seepage into the structural honeycomb cells.
courtesy of Nida-Core viscoelastic rigid-elastic technology.
WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

20. 20 MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Premier yachts cored this luxury yacht with Nida-Core H8PP: all
Legendary Bertram Yachts, considered by many a benchmark
interior cabin soles, salon floor (2 layers), and hull sides all exte-
in sports fisherman design and construction, uses Nida-Core
rior decks, all of superstructure, fore & aft engine room bulk-
H8PP panels to construct her immaculate engine room as well
heads. Behind the classic, timeless design Nida-Core rigid-
as soles. The viscoelastic nature of Nida-Core RIGID-ELASTIC
elastic technology ensures unparalleled comfort and longevity
TECHNOLOGY helps make Bertram one of the quietest and
for her discriminating owners.
best handling yachts of its type on the market today.
Clean, high gloss appearance of Nida-Core cored panels NidaFusion STO Triangulated Pin Infusion Cores were used in
make this one the most attractive engine room installations the construction of the interior bulkheads and hull-deck of
available in its class. Reduced vibration levels and excellent this South-African expedition grade catamaran. NidaFusion
sound dampening are just few of the benefits of Nida-Core STO is especially suitable and economical for large flat
exclusive RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY. panel infusion and provides a mechanical linkage between
the inner and outer skins.
Mirage Manufacturing of Gainesville FL, with its Lou Godega
High speed US Coast Guard approved commercial ferry
designed trawler, constructed entirely with Nida-Core H8PP
serving route between Miami and Key West Florida, utilizing
sandwich construction, make Mirage trawlers virtually unsink-
Nida-Core H8PP Construction in hull, superstructure, bulkheads.
able and suitable for long distance live aboard cruising with
excellent fuel economy.
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21. MARINE INTERIORS APPLICATIONS 21
High quality yacht interiors can benefit from
Whiticar Custom Boats of Stuart Floirda con- Bullnose panel veneered lauan sandwich Additional
quiet Nida-Core Corp laminated panels with
structed this interior cabinetry section with H8PP panel detail shown,as one of many ways to
skins from teak and holly to marble.
veneered panels. Note radiused inner corner. edge finish a lightweight panel. references:
Page 33;99
Thin Marble and Granite sandwich panels and 70% specific weight reduction is possible utiliz- Significant weight reduction can be achieved
veneered NidaCore panels shown in bath- ing Nida-Core veneered panels as compared by backing up thin cut natural quarry products
room project in a recent mega yacht built by to traditional plywood constructed cabinetry. with Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb .
Trinity Yachts.
Thin veneer faced honeycomb panels reduce Corian Solid Surface Countertop detail shown Okoume, Lauan, Birch, Maple, Teak and Holly
the possibility of warpage as compared to solid with Nida-Core Honeycomb backer. are just a few examples of veneered panels
wood construction. available from Nida-Core Corp.
WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

22. 22 ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Typical applications include structural columns, portable buildings, office parti- When properly mounted, Nida-Core Fiberglass Panels can be
tions, countertops and building facades. covered on one side with exotic woods (like teak shown), rub-
ber, aluminum, marble, carpet. Visit our website or call our
• Nida-Core panels rigidity enables large dimensioned sections to be used technical experts with your specific idea and advice with
• Easy handling adhesive selection. Photo courtesy Ethan Ames Inc. New York, NY.
• Easy shaping enables modern designs
• Increasingly demanded sound and heat insulation requirements are
met by Nida-Core honeycomb materials.
• Large roof structures
• Outer or technical doors
• Concrete casing
• Suspended platforms and ceilings
• Removable floors
• Nida-Core is a great insulator, with R factor ranging up to 5.5 per inch
of thickness.
• The unique properties of extruded polypropylene honeycomb allows
superior conformability.
• Nida-Core enables several manufacturing operations to be simulta
neously achieved, resulting in optimized production.
• Nida-Core Honeycomb is recyclable.
Curved and overhanging architectural features are ideally suited for • Polypropylene’s natural harmonic of 125Hz to 150 Hz dampens sound
Nida-Core Composite Panels. and vibrations.
Nida-Core fiberglass panels with outdoor grade rubber lamina-
Custom length Nida-Core panels with fiberglass lamination pro-
tion on top side transform this New York City Penthouse balcony
vide a flat, precise grid system that serves as vibration damp-
into great weather resistant, lightweight flooring system that
ening, load supporting and weather resistant underlayment for
serves a perfect underlayment for multitude of uses.
outdoor landscape designs. Photo courtesy Ethan Ames Inc. New
York, NY.
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23. ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS 23
Cell phone towers disguised as flagpoles, Composite tables manufactured with
Fiberglass skinned composite panel build-
church steeples, chimneys are ideally NidaFusion STO or NidaFlow R closed
ing constructed with steel framing.
suited for plastic honeycomb technology molding reinforcements are widely utilized
NidaCore Structural Honeycombs exhibit R
for its great radio and microwave pene- throughout the industry.
value of up to 3.3 per inch of thickness.
trability.
Composite pools are built with Nida-Core Splash pools and spas benefit from Nida- This historic newspaper stand is renovated
H8PP sandwich and localized reinforce- Core rot and decay proof qualities for by constructing a modern composites struc-
ments, as it is ideally suited for under high moisture environment installations. ture using Nida-Core Matline laminate
ground service due to its rot proof quality. Photo Courtesy MP Concepts, QC, Can- bullker that adds toughness to the laminate
ada. as well as stiffness without adding extra
weight.
This water tower, built with Nida-Core Struc- Nida-Core Corp. is a supplier to composite Radar tower with composite construction
tural Honeycomb, clearly illustrates the door manufacturers, where Structural hon- utilizing Nida-Core H8PP, noted for its excel-
benefit of lightweight architectural panels eycombs, Foamline, NidaFusion STO and lent microwave penetrability.
and its design flexibility it provides. NidaFoam are used as coring .
WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

24. 24 ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Nida-Core H8PP is widely used by performing arts industry for Another New York City landmark, Lincoln Center, and Met-
construction of stages, dance floors, Stage props. Here, ropolitan Opera of New York uses Nida-Core H8PP panels for
Cirque du Soleil reconstructed a floating barge stage using stage props. The lightweight panels, weighing less than a 1/3
Nida-Core H8PP for its production "O" in Las Vegas. of the weight of plywood, allows the props to be moved
with less manpower, faster during recess , and using smaller
winches and motors. Additionally, performers benefit from
the shock absorbing nature of Nida-Core exclusive rigid -elastic
technology.
When it came time to renovate the famous New York City
landmark department store Barneys of New York, Nida-Core
H8PP panels were chosen for lightweight vibration dampen-
ing load floors for the equipment rooms. Typical of historic
buildings not designed for its present use, Nida-Core provides a
modern solution for engineering challenges.
Splash pool made with H8PP Photo Courtesy of MP Concepts,
QC, Canada.
Canopies and extended roof systems utilizing composites and Nida-
Core Structural Honeycombs are enhancing the architect’s ability to
design shapes unattainable with traditional construction materials
and methods. Light weight provides for reduced handling equip-
ment and fast installation. The minor increase in cost of the part is
quickly offset by cost savings in installation and maintenance.
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25. CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS 25
Industry, in general, call widely upon polyes- Honeycomb blocks can also be used as
Nida-Core honeycomb materials are cur-
ter for the flexibility of use it procures. Nida- ground water storage units , and then
rently used to transform flows which are ini-
Core honeycomb materials are widely com- benefit from differences in ambient tem-
tially turbulent into laminar flows. In many
bined with this process for production of perature to heat or cool buildings
applications for which the product adds its
spray booths, platforms, and storage build- around the “cored” parking lot.
qualities or resistance to corrosion of chemi-
ings.
cal products.
Additional
references:
Page 49;90
18” Blocks of Nida-Core H20 PP used to Nida-Core H20PP 18” thick blocks are used for this highway construction project. Placing
stabilize cobble stone parking lot and honeycomb blocks under the surface ensures that top surface remains unaffected
maintain levelness through freeze and thaw by frequent freeze and thaw cycles plus provides faster irrigation and storm water
cycles. evacuation .
Shock Absorption:the widespread use of aerospace honeycomb in structures of commercial and military jet aircraft attest to its excellent
shock absorbing capabilities. Energy from impact is absorbed and dispersed evenly throughout the honeycomb matrix. Because the cells
are interconnected, when one cell buckles from impact, the walls of the adjacent cells also buckle to absorb the force, similar to a ripple
effect increased load-bearing capability as a result of its elastomeric composition. Also affecting behavior is cell diameter and skin prop-
erties. Honeycombs made of different materials have different properties.
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26. 26 TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Public Transit Bus in New York City, NY, This American icon, made famous in the 1990’s As horse trailers and race car haulers in-
floor made of Nida-Core H8PP compos- protecting our troops during Gulf Wars, relies crease in size, so does the need for more
ite panels. heavily on The inherent toughness of Nida-Core power in tow vehicles. This Nida-Core H8PP
polypropylene honeycomb which provides the cored motor home provides a lightweight
necessary characteristics to construct the roof for solution to the speed to weight ratio.
this ultimate troop mobility vehicle.
Southern California Timing Association and Bonneville
Nationals Inc. World speed record car built with
The intricate shape of these retro travel trailers shows the unlimited potential of using Nida-Core H8PP.During recent high speed testing at
versatile Nida-Core polypropylene honeycomb for structural applications such as over 250mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats the vehi-
the body and floor. As process requires, foam is often troublesome to laminate un- cle hit an abandoned automotive battery head on at
der vacuum pressure, where score kerfs often create negative pressure areas, full speed. No doubt thanks to the extreme resil-
where styrene fumes collect, thus softening the foam around or leaving un or under ient nature of the Structural Plastic Honeycomb the
body of the vehicle nor the driver experienced no
cured resin pockets within the laminate. Due to its elastic nature, Nida-Core does
damage whatsoever less some scratches to the
not have to be scored for vacuum bag applications, and polypropylene backer to painted surface finish. Another testament to the
reduce resin consumption, under the polyester scrim is sufficient to avoid resin to fill superiority of the plastic structural honeycomb tech-
the hollow honeycomb cells. nology which does not transfer impacts from outer
skin to inner skin with out providing initial crumple zone
with memory.
European Travel trailer, made by LRTM This rental truck body in the UK is cored Renault (MACK) truck sleeper cab constructed
molding, utilizing NidaFusion STO and STF with Nida-Core H8PP core to make the using NidaFusion STF closed molding core with
cores. composite bodies more damage toler- triangulated pins. Sandwich composite truck
ant and resilient, so they can withstand bodies reduce weight, therefore increasing
the rigors of everyday abuse. payload capacity and saving fuel .
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27. TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS 27
Worlds largest bus manufacturer, Marco- Leading heavy truck manufacturer WESTERN STAR
French auto manufacturer Renault uses
Polo uses NidaFusion STF cores in the trucks relied on Nida-Core for sandwich const-
polypropylene honeycomb fused to GE
manufacture of engine room doors and ruction for sleeper cabs. Nida-Core is ideally
AZDEL skin and PP carpet in its sandwich
other exterior body parts in their state of suited for this application as it is easily thermo-
constructed floors, aiding this Spyder to
the art closed molding facility. formed in large sheets and contours easily to
achieve exceptional torsional rigidity
the required curvature, at the same time pro-
and rendering the floor recyclable .
viding necessary toughness for this intensive
use application and cost effectiveness
demanded by large automotive OEMs.
Nida-Core Corp .is a proud sponsor of this
Prototype courier vehicle from Canada Nida-Core Matline was used to
world record speed attempt, where Nida-
features composite constructed corrosion
Core H8PP was used to construct the stiffen the body panels of this
free body cored with NidaCore H8PP Struc-
body of the vehicle. Nida-Core was chosen exotic car.
tural Honeycombs.
due to the extreme stresses experienced
by this composite body.
Patrick Nguyen of Atlanta, Georgia sent us these images of his fantastic 2000 Porsche
996 Twin turbo developing over 550 hp Patrick’s Porsche is heavily modified with a full
wide-body kit constructed primarily of 6 oz carbon cloth and AME 5000 vinyl ester
resin sandwiching 5mm and 13 mm Nida-Core H8PP. It features 19” Rial wheels and
Patrick estimates significant weight savings on his body panels as compared to the South American Heavy Truck manufacturers
original. A notable feature is a custom 3000 W XTANT stereo system featuring Nida- are relying on NidaFusion STF cores for their
Core 13 mm H8PP +18oz WR panels for its subwoofer enclosure. Proud owner reports closed molding of hood assemblies.
almost no vibrations from elevated decibel levels.
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29. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS 29
Impact absorbing hockey back protec- Nida-Core is proud to supply motorcycle garments manufacturer Vanson Leathers of
tor with H8PP honeycomb core. Massachusetts with a unique energy absorption material based on its resilient plastic
honeycomb technology to be used in the shoulder, back and elbow pads. An inter-
esting combination of true old-world craftsmanship on behalf of Vanson Leathers and
combined with the high technology of Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb products will
surely distance Vanson Leathers even further form its competition.
Nida-Core H8PP is especially suitable for Nida-Core is ideally suited for construction of
Nida-Core and carbon fiber panels have chemical storage tanks and double wall con-
manufacture of all types of doors. Stiffness,
increased the torsional stiffness of their SAE tainment tanks. The inherent nature of sandwich
toughness, light weight, sound absorption ,
formula racer from Saginaw Valley State construction makes it virtually impossible to
availability of fire retardancy and compatibil-
University by approximately 85-90% over the have liquid leaks travel crosswise through the
ity with just about any type of skin are all tank wall, plus the leaks, if present, are easier
bare space frame construction.
features specified by door manufacturers: to locate than with alternate core materials.
Nida-Core provides a solution for all these Polypropylene remains one of the most
requirements, and more. chemical resistant materials known to man.
Nida-Core H8PP is used in construc- Matline used in the construction of the Nida-Core H8PP is ideally suited for
tion of this Canadian jet ramp sys- Aqua massage table. compound curved parts manufac-
tem. Highly conformable, no toxicity ture with vacuum bag core installa-
when burned, inexpensive, light weight, tion.
vibration dampening .
WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM