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| Home I Fact & Fiction I PVC I PU I Elvaloy I Hypalon I Adhesives I Order & Contact I |
Fact & Fiction
Most of the current industry opinions concerning the best fabrics for inflatable boats
were formulated at a time when the only alternative to rubber was non durable PVC
fabrics.
Recent scientific developments have brought surprisingly high performing products
to the market. Your choice of fabric depends upon your final application:
PVC
PVC fabrics offer light weight and economical solutions to leisure boat manufacturing.
However due to their lack of resistance to prolonged exposure to UV rays and
chemicals they are not adapted for high end Ribs and work boats.
Only a limited number of specialized suppliers offer marine grade qualities.
Hypalon®
Hypalon fabrics have been traditionally used in high quality inflatable boats because
of their resistance to weather and chemicals, longevity, suppleness and ease of
repair. However, their weak abrasion resistance makes them 2nd choice for RIB
WorkBoats and WhiteWater rafts. Hypalon fabrics can only be glued after pre-
sanding. There are various qualities of so called Hypalon fabrics, some of them being
only generic CSM (Hypalon is a registered DUPONT trademark).
Polyurethane
These fabrics are by far the 1st choice where abrasion is a concern. However, their
lack of color stability (noted even in the aliphatic grades) and their stiffness renders
them inappropriate to the leisure markets.
Evaloy®
With good suppleness, very high abrasion resistance, perfect color stability and good
general properties, Elvaloy® fabrics are poised to capture a growing share of the
inflatable boat market. They can be both welded and glued.
Most of the current industry opinions concerning the best fabrics for inflatable boats
were formulated at a time when the only alternative to rubber was non durable PVC
fabrics.
Recent scientific developments have brought surprisingly high performing products
to the market. Your choice of fabric depends upon your final application:
PVC
PVC fabrics offer light weight and economical solutions to leisure boat manufacturing.
However due to their lack of resistance to prolonged exposure to UV rays and
chemicals they are not adapted for high end Ribs and work boats.
Only a limited number of specialized suppliers offer marine grade qualities.
Hypalon®
Hypalon fabrics have been traditionally used in high quality inflatable boats because
of their resistance to weather and chemicals, longevity, suppleness and ease of
repair. However, their weak abrasion resistance makes them 2nd choice for RIB
WorkBoats and WhiteWater rafts. Hypalon fabrics can only be glued after pre-
sanding. There are various qualities of so called Hypalon fabrics, some of them being
only generic CSM (Hypalon is a registered DUPONT trademark).
Polyurethane
These fabrics are by far the 1st choice where abrasion is a concern. However, their
lack of color stability (noted even in the aliphatic grades) and their stiffness renders
them inappropriate to the leisure markets.
Evaloy®
With good suppleness, very high abrasion resistance, perfect color stability and good
general properties, Elvaloy® fabrics are poised to capture a growing share of the
inflatable boat market. They can be both welded and glued.
|
InflatableBoatFabrics.com
High quality fabrics & adhesives for Inflatable Boats
| Clifton Adhesives |
