Chomarat and Norafin have joined forces to create the latest Rotafilm Neo fibreglass reinforcement for roofs, that offers improved performance and reduced membrane thickness and weight.

Chomarat, a specialist in textile reinforcements for composites, has launched its new generation of reinforcements for roofing felt that combines high performance and optimal use of membranes.

Called Rotaflam Neo, the reinforcement is the result of a joint development between Chomarat – which has been active on the roofing market for 40 years, and is an expert in the design and production of laid scrim – and Norafin, a specialist in hydro entanglement non-wovens for 35 years.

“By combining our know-how, we can offer a reinforcement that rises to the challenges of the waterproofing market, offering improved performance, while reducing the thickness of the membranes. The reduced weight of the bitumen significantly cuts the production costs of the membranes,” explains Marlene Berthouze, roofing market manager at Chomarat.

He claims this is the only reinforcement of its kind on the market because it offers the benefits of both glass and polyester and combines the performances of laid scrim (strength and dimensional stability) and non-woven materials (puncture, fire and tear resistance) in a single layer.

Rotaflam Neo is made up of a fibreglass and/or polyester-based laid scrim, a non-woven material and a glass veil. The non-woven material uses a water-jet binding process that guarantees the performances of the laid scrim.

“Using a laid scrim that combines glass and polyester offers two benefits: thanks to its intrinsic properties, the glass adds stability on the roof, and also on the membrane production lines, while the polyester brings elongation and strength,” she says.

Moreover, the membranes produced with Rotaflam Neo pass all the European fire resistance tests (BROOF T1,T2, T3).

“Rotaflam Neo improves the fire resistance of the waterproofing membrane and does away with the need to include certain chemical additives in the formulation – which means that the environmental impact of our solution is also reduced,” adds Berthouze.

C-Grid

Meanwhile, Chomarat unveiled its C-Grid, another high-performance reinforcement dedicated to the building and construction industry, at The Big 5 show in Dubai, UAE, in November.

C-Grid is made by bonding ultra high-strength carbon tow with epoxy resin. It enables precast constructions to be thinner, lighter, more durable and less costly overall than conventional precast and other building systems. It’s an efficient material for innovative, greener concrete building solutions, says a company spokesman.

“For architectural cladding or insulated wall panels, precast concrete is improved by integrating ultra-strong, non-corrosive C-Grid into the wall panel during fabrication. Taking the place of steel reinforcement, C-Grid is a real enabling technology, providing better factory-made precast concrete elements,” explains John Leatham, Chomarat North America, sales and marketing director.

With the properties of C-Grid, thin walls are greener, lighter and stronger, because non-corrosive carbon fibres require less protective concrete. The walls are durable, as C-Grid offers outstanding crack control. The product is also attractive and versatile, with limitless design options

Established in 1898, Chomarat is an independent industrial group and a leading player in the textile field. It relies on an international network in the field of composite materials and engineered textiles, and has industrial sites worldwide, including in Europe, the Mediterranean basin, the US and Asia, to support the development of international groups.

The group leads a bold innovation strategy by investing in new technologies and entering into research partnerships with universities worldwide.

Chomarat’s customers are in the most innovation-oriented sectors such as automotive, aerospace, sports, energy, boating, protection, building and construction and civil engineering, and also in markets requiring creativity and expertise, like luxury goods.