September
Arkema 4, a floating lab, takes to the watert
The new Multi 50 is the result of a close, intense collaboration between Arkema and the Lalou Multi Composite shipyard, which have been partners for eight years. With recyclable resins, new adhesives, clean energies and more, there are many innovative materials and solutions to complement the bold architectural choices.
The entire deckhouse/cockpit was made from a composite based on recycled Elium® resin. The cockpit, which is 80 cm lower than on the other Multi 50s, offers protected maneuvering. For better visibility in all sailing conditions, the cockpit and deckhouse are fitted with glazing in Altuglas® ShieldUp® Flex PMMA, the first flexible sheet in the world, which can be installed without thermoforming and was developed by Altuglas International, Arkema’s subsidiary. This acrylic glass is five times more shock-resistant than traditional PMMA and considerably more lightweight. With a scratch-resistant, water-repellent coating, it offers remarkable optical qualities. Developed by the young French company Powertech, the latestgeneration lithium batteries use our Kynar® technology, which increases energy storage capacity by 50% with no increase in weight compared to the Arkema 1 trimaran. Combined with a larger surface area of photovoltaic panels installed on the front outrigger arm, the system delivers a fully autonomous energy supply to on-board equipment without emitting a single gram of CO2.
As with the floats and the outriggers, the structure and bulkheads were assembled by structural bonding using Bostik’s methacrylate products. These highstrength glues have an elongation capacity that is six times greater than epoxy adhesives.
October
Our Elium® resin wins the Pierre Potier prize
At a ceremony attended by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Secretary of State for Economy and Finance, Arkema was awarded the 2020 Pierre Potier prize for its Elium® liquid thermoplastic resin, a disruptive innovation on the composites market that is used to make 100% recyclable wind turbine blades.
