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07 Dec 2005  -  Netherlands

Azdel Rail-Lite* composite brings superb fire and smoke safety aboard Metro-north's passenger locomotives

GE announced a new grade of Rail-Lite* thermoplastic composite from AZDEL, Inc. made with the company’s Ultem* polyetherimide (PEI) resin to meet the needs of the rail industry for lightweight materials offering superior flame retardance and low smoke and toxicity. The immediate beneficiary: Metro-North Railroad, the third-largest commuter railroad in North America.

When Metro-North Railroad sought a replacement for acoustic ceiling panels in the cabs of its GE GENESIS* passenger locomotives, it decided to use the opportunity to find a material solution that was compliant with new flame and smoke requirements of the US Federal Railroad Association (FRA). A collaborative effort by GE - Plastics, AZDEL, Inc. (a 50/50 joint venture of GE and PPG Industries), Schneller Inc., and American Acoustical Products led to the innovative HushLiner FR acoustic ceiling panel, which features the Rail-Lite composite from AZDEL, Inc.

American Acoustical Products’ HushLiner FR panels are based on a proprietary five-layer “sandwich” construction that includes a perforated Indura GTfilmTM decorative laminate from Schneller, Rail-Lite composite from AZDEL, Inc., and various adhesives. The panels not only comply with ASTM flame and smoke standards mandated by the FRA, but also provide excellent acoustic and sound-absorption properties, an attractive, cleanable surface that resists graffiti and delamination, and flexibility that makes them easy to install into confined spaces on locomotives.

The Rail-Lite composite, which was introduced at the 2004 Cologne Rail Show, is a thermoformable, lightweight composite that is an excellent candidate in large semi-structural panels for train interiors. Comprised of long glass fibers, the composite enables sturdy components with approximately half of the specific gravity of alternative materials used in interiors like aluminum or GRP/FRP (glass reinforced plastics/fiber reinforced plastics). The Rail-Lite composite quickly chars upon exposure to flame and emits very low levels of smoke and toxicity. Additionally, it meets U.S. FRA 49 CFR Part 238 flammability and smoke emissions standards for train passenger cars and locomotive cabs, as well as Germany’s DIN5510, Part 2 S4/SR2/ST2 rating.

“As a current supplier of the ceiling panels for GE’s Infrastructure, Rail business, we worked closely with the GE - Plastics team to design a new headliner system for GE’s GENESIS series locomotives using the Rail-Lite composite material from AZDEL, Inc.,” said Russell Moody, president of American Acoustical Products. “The use of GE’s Ultem resin in this composite enables the panels to comply with the FRA’s fire and smoke requirements and gives our company a new material solution for future applications.”

Ultem PEI resin is inherently flame resistant with low smoke emission. In fact, Ultem resin grades may be used in applications that need to comply with environmental requirements such as TCO99, Blue Angel, White Swan or EU, while meeting the fire safety criteria of UL®.

“The multi-layer sandwich system required carefully selected layers of materials to maintain or exceed a number of performance requirements, and the Rail-Lite composite with GE’s Ultem resin was a key factor in this equation,” said Dr. Benny David, global industry manager for Transportation Composites at GE - Plastics.

“Our product development for this application exceeded customer expectations by not only meeting FRA regulations for flame and smoke emission, but by also creating a robust, lightweight product that can be easily fabricated on-site for custom installations,” said Paul Disciullo, industry manager for GE - Plastics’ Specialty Film & Sheet business.

Other potential applications for the Rail-Lite composite are window masks, ceiling and side-ceiling panels, Wainscot panels, seat backs, armrests, tray tables, luggage racks, partitions, and other interior trim components. Because of its low weight and excellent flame, smoke, and toxicity performance, the composite is an excellent potential replacement for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, vinyl ester, and phenolic FRPs or GRPs, high pressure laminates, and aluminum type materials traditionally used in train interiors.

Source : GE - Plastics