Matt wrote: >> Sunday I was told by a Perception Rep. that "Airalite" is an ABS plastic but I think it is much the same if not identical to the polycarbonate plastic Eddyline calls "Carbonlite 2000". I may be mistaken, or polycarbonate and ABS may be related somehow, so don't take this as gospel. If ABS, it must be coated with something else that stops UV degradation. >> Below, a couple URL's comparing these. ABS is schlock compared to polycarbonate in that application. Polycarbonate has good UV resistance and great impact resistance (but read on). ABS becomes brittle with age, although I've seen enough split Eddyline polycarbonate boats to question the wisdom of using it there. One couple I know split the keels of their Merlins when they fell off a sawhorse in the garage. No way my Eddyline hardshells would do that, even with the relatively light layup they use (compared to the British heavies [grin]. I had a large tree branch fall right onto the nose of my Wind Dancer in a windstorm in 1998 -- cracked the hell out of the gel coat and made a "soft" place, but even though there may have been glass damage, the boat was usable and safe to get home in. I checked it out further, and determined the damage was not structural, and did not leak, so I've been paddling it ever since. I doubt a polycarbonate boat would have survived that hit, although there is a glue used to repair these things ... and that is what Eddyline used to fix the cracked Merlins. The owners are still paddling them, but do not allow the boats to hit hard things, anymore [grin]. ABS: http://www.bayplastics.co.uk/Product%20Materials/prod-abs.htm PC: http://www.polymerplastics.com/mechanical_poly.shtml and, a thumbnail comparison of the properties of a variety of polymer-based materials: http://www.polychlor.com/material.htm -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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