Lightweight and resistant ski boots thanks to carbon fibre

The innovative thermoplastic composite Xecarb 17 C30, which is being introduced at JEC Europe Composites (Paris, March 11-13, 2014) from the Italian company Xenia, is based on the thermoplastic elastomer Pebax, from the chemical company Arkema, reinforced with carbon fibres frequently used in aeronautics. The goal was to take Pebax and make it stiffer. It is a thermoplastic polymer which is the reference material in the production of ski boots thanks to its special physical, mechanical and chemical properties. Pebax is lightweight and durable, and has an incredible elastic recovery, always maintaining its mechanical characteristics even at very low temperatures. Cold temperatures, in fact, enhance its quality. These features have made it a reference material for the realization of high-performance components for winter sports.
The experience obtained in the implementation of these polymers has allowed Xenia to make Pebax more rigid and to broaden the scope of its possible applications. The base material has been filled with 30% carbon fibres in order to obtain the Xecarb 17 C30 composite. 
The advantages are different. The carbon used with variable dosage allows to create a material with adjustable stiffness but at the same time retains all the strength of Pebax, overall at low temperatures. Based on its high mechanical characteristics, Xecarb 17 C30 features an elastic module up to 15 times more than Pebax. This makes it possible to design parts with a considerably reduced thickness, an added advantage to the reduction to the weight of the product.  Xecarb can also be overmoulded to other materials, ensuring maximum freedom in terms of design.