WoodGlue wrote:
Azdel is about 50% lighter than luaun, which is used as wallboard in a huge percentage of RV's. Look at my signature and click on the link "10 Reasons" and view the first video. Mike Conley from Lance will explain all about Azdel.
BurbMan wrote:
Never heard of it, sounds like an anti-depressant.....
It will save you from the depression of wet, soggy moldy luaun.
Azdel rocks.
Luaun sucks!
WoodGlue
Azdel is nothing more than a FANCY BRAND NAME for FRP (Fiber Glass Reinforced Panel). It is not "structural" at all, it can't support its self nor will it hold fasteners. It can't be "glued" to anything else either...
Here is some quick online research that may be of interest..
AZDEL.COMFrom the website above..
"Light-Weight Reinforced Thermoplastic (LWRT)
The LWRT family of products are low pressure, thermoformable composites of thermoplastic resin and long chopped fiber combined with outer layers as needed for the application (i.e.; adhesive film, barrier film, tough PP film, non-woven, reinforcing, or just the bare surface.) The primary conversion process for manufacturing parts from LWRT uses matched-surface molds in a thermoforming set-up. Radiant heat is used to bring the sheet to forming temperature prior to be placed in the press.
There are several products that fall within the LWRT family.
· SuperLite®
· SuperLite XLT®
· VolcaLite®
· Aero-Lite®
Manufacturing Process
LWRT is manufactured using a modified paper making process originally developed in the U.K by Arjo Wiggins. The process involves mixing chopped reinforcing fibers, thermoplastic resin powder, and additives into an aqueous slurry (looks like shaving foam,) that is then deposited onto a conveyerized mesh belt. Vacuum then extracts the moisture from the system prior to the material entering a drying oven. Essentially what is created is a fiber reinforced thermoplastic foam with very low specific weight, typically in the 0.2 to 0.8 range, but with a very high stiffness to weight ratio.
After the material exits the drying oven, and while it is still hot, it is run through a lamination phase that performs several functions including, reducing the thickness to improve the bonding of the resin and the glass fibers (wet-out,) and cooling the resin to lock the glass-fibers in place. Also at this time, any scrims, fabrics, or films that might be required for the specific application are added to the outer surfaces of the LWRT core material.
Materials produced with this process are typically sold by areal weight (mass per unit area) usually expressed in grams per square meter (gsm).
Main ingredients:
Superlite and Superlite XLT:
Polypropylene (PP)Reinforcement: Glass
Volcalite:
Polypropylene (PP)Reinforcemment : Basalt
Aero-Lite:
Polyetherimide (PEI)Reinforcement: Glass"
MSDS sheets are available from the link above..
Simply put, it is nothing more than Polypropylene which is a PLASTIC with fiber reinforcement, with that it DOES have some downfalls and potential hazards.
Can’t be used anywhere there is CONSIDERABLE HEAT, melting point is 327 degrees F
Combustion point is 625 degrees F
When BURNING AZDEL CAN RELEASE “ HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS” as per the MSDS.
Plastics such as this ALSO WILL “OUTGAS” which may or may not affect people similar ways as Formaldehyde even at room temperature so don’t think that it will not affect those with severe allergies.. It COULD, think like the odor you get from NEW carpet (carpet is made mainly from Polypropylene).
Polypropylene:
POLYPROPYLENE LINKFrom the above link..
"Polypropylene (PP) - This polyolefin is readily formed by polymerizing propylene with suitable catalysts, generally aluminum alkyl and titanium tetrachloride. Polypropylene properties vary according to molecular weight, method of production, and the copolymers involved. Generally polypropylene has demonstrated certain advantages in improved strength, stiffness and higher temperature capability over polyethylene. Polypropylene has been very successfully applied to the forming of fibers due to its good specific strength which is why it is the single largest use of polypropylene. Polypropylene also happens to be one of the lightest plastics available with a density of 0.905 g/cm². Polypropylene (PP) was discovered in 1954 and grew a strong popularity very quickly. Because of extensive research, five main variations of Polypropylene have emerged as: homopolymers, impact (block) copolymers, random copolymers, rubber modified blends, and specialty copolymers.
Features:
Homopolymer (3290), Food Contact Acceptable (1860), Good Processability (1700), Copolymer (1408), Good Impact Resistance (1400), Good Stiffness (1378), High Flow (1357), High Impact Resistance (1194), High Stiffness (1118), Chemically Coupled (1082), 302 More...
Disadvantages
- Degraded by UV
- Flammable, but retarded grades available
- Attacked by chlorinated solvents and aromatics
- Difficult to bond
- Several metals accelerate oxidative degrading
- Low temperature impact strength is poor"
So, we now know that Polypropylene is made from POLYOLEFIN..
POLYOLEFIN LINKFrom the above link..
"polyolefin, any of a class of synthetic resins prepared by the polymerization of olefins.
Olefins are hydrocarbons (compounds containing hydrogen and carbon ) whose molecules contain a pair of carbon atoms linked together by a double bond. They are most often derived from natural gas or from low-molecular-weight constituents of petroleum, and their most prominent members are ethylene and propylene. These two compounds are “lower olefins”—that is, olefins whose molecules contain only one pair of carbon atoms. “Higher olefins,” containing two or more pairs of carbon atoms per molecule, include butene (butylene) and methylpentene. All of these olefins are made into polymers, but by far the most important are polyethylene and polypropylene. The wide array of uses to which these versatile plastics can be applied and the huge quantities in which they are made so overshadow the other olefin polymers that the term polyolefin is frequently understood to refer only to them.
The lower olefins are commonly represented by the chemical formula CH2=CHR, with R representing hydrogen in the case of ethylene and a pendant methyl (CH3) group in the case of propylene. The presence of the double bond is the key to the polymerization of these two hydrocarbons. Under the influence of chemical catalysts, and usually under the application of heat and pressure, the double bond is opened, and one of the two resultant single bonds is used to link one molecule to another. As the repeating unit of a polymeric molecule, the chemical structure of the olefin can be represented as:
This simple structure, repeated thousands or even millions of times, yields long, chainlike molecules of varying molecular weight, with or without attached side branches, that exhibit loosely amorphous or closely ordered, semicrystalline arrangements. Polyolefins are lightweight, flexible, thermoplastic materials that can be made into clear films and sheets, strong and resilient bottles and containers, water-resistant carpet fibres, and many other products.
Polyethylene was first made as a commercial product in the late 1930s, but the polyolefins did not begin their rise to prominence until the 1950s, after Karl Ziegler of Germany and Giulio Natta of Italy developed a series of catalysts (now known as Ziegler-Natta catalysts) that made it possible to manufacture the polymers to precise specifications and at low cost. Tens of millions of tons are produced each year."
Folks I hate to tell you.. but AZDEL is made from PETROLEUM PRODUCTS (Natural gas or actual crude, take your pick, most likely a byproduct of hydro cracking), IT IS HYDROCARBON BASED, it is not environmentally “friendly”, nor it is not made from “renewable” sources. So if you are looking to “save the world” by buying a product made with AZDEL forget about it…
Azdel is simply a TRADE NAME or BRAND NAME for another TYPE of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Panel), it is similar to Filon with the differences being Azdel uses POLYPROPLYENE instead of POLYESTER RESIN (Filon).
From my research above, Azdel has several drawbacks to consider..
Uses petroleum products.
NOT UV resistant, MUST be “protected” by another UV safe product like paint or UV barrier.
NOT readily “glued”, conventional glue laminating does not work.
It must be WELDED (IE MELTED) to the adjoining surfaces, this makes any “field repairs” virtually impossible without having all the correct PLASTIC WELDING equipment and tooling (think LARGE repairs like an entire wall). In other words it is a THROW AWAY PRODUCT (IE damage which causes the AZDEL to separate from adjoining surfaces will result in a cost far exceeding the value of said product).
While it may be “waterproof” and not damaged by water, the same desirable characteristics can also be very bad since it must be FULLY heat sealed (welded) to the adjoining materials it can become a trap for ANY moisture which finds its way in during or after lamination. In other words if the process does not fully seal the wall or if the wall develops a way for moisture to get in it may be trapped inside. This trapped moisture can do several things, FREEZE causing internal delamination (separation from structural materials) or create a very ripe breeding ground for MOLDS to grow.
I will stick to my inferior conventional stick built construction with Luan…
And for those who may think I am an “expert” on this, I am not, but I was very curious about this “product” and did some simple basic searches.
