TRANSONITE®

Introducing TRANSONITE

TRANSONITE® is a light weight, high strength, extremely durable composite panel. With a wide variety of potential uses, this patented technology provides an alternative for structural and non-structural flat panel applications. Some examples include: Rail car walls, floors and roofs Truck sleeper cabs Truck trailer walls, floors and roofs Pedestrian Bridge decks Marine decks and bulkheads Construction panels Off-Road Mats Mezzanine Floors Industrial Mats TRANSONITE is a pultruded 3-D, reinforced composite "sandwich" consisting of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates and a foam core. The top and bottom face skins are supported by and tied together with through-thickness fibers giving TRANSONITE its unique structure.
	TRANSONITE Composite Material

	TRANSONITE with foam core removed so 3-D fibers can be seen

The TRANSONITE Difference

The 3-D through-thickness fibers in TRANSONITE provide greater durability than conventional sandwich panels. Delamination, a common problem in conventional sandwich materials, is virtually eliminated with the 3-D reinforcements that tie the face sheets together. Transonite delivers:

High strength
Low weight
Corrosion resistance
Toughness and durability
High volume production

Martin Marietta Composites can provide a custom-designed TRANSONITE panel to meet your specific application. Along with varying skin thickness and fiber insertion densities, panels can also be manufactured to specific dimensions, potentially reducing overall installation costs. Our customized panels provide a stronger, high value alternative to conventional sandwich materials.

Product Range
Parameter	Minimum	Maximum
Width	6 inches	102 inches
Facing (skin) Thickness	0.1 inch	0.5 inch
Sandwich Thickness	0.5 inch	4 inches
Fiber Insertion Density	0 per square inch	16 per square inch

The TRANSONITE Manufacturing Process and Panel Specifications

To begin the pultrusion process, varying layers of engineered fabrics are pulled together to produce the desired top and bottom skin thicknesses. Foam is inserted between the top and bottom layers of the fabric forming a sandwich. 3-D fibers are then inserted completely through the skins and foam. Resin is injected and the sandwich is drawn through a heated die forming a cured 3-D composite sandwich. Finally, the composite panel is cut to the appropriate length.

The pultrusion process is continuous and automated providing superior quality material, while meeting high volume demands. Transonite pultrusion technology allows for varying depths, widths, thicknesses and fiber insertion densities across the panel. The 3-D insertion component is capable of providing either a consistent insertion density over a given area or localized reinforcements as needed.

The range of mechanical performance is currently undergoing independent evaluation. An extensive testing and analysis program is being conducted at North Carolina State University's Constructed Facilities Laboratory and the University of Delaware's Center for Composite Materials. The following table shows the range of tested properties of TRANSONITE in various configurations (i.e. varying thicknesses, core types, fiber insertion density, etc.)

Property Range
	Tensile Performance Range (Skins) ASTM D3039	Shear Performance Range (Sandwich) ASTM 273	Compressive Performance Range ASTM C365
Thickness	0.15 to 0.30 inches	1.5 to 4.0 inches	1.5 to 4.0 inches
Modulus	2.0 to 3.5 Msi	1,500 to 15,500 psi	60,000 to 160,000 psi
Strength	25 to 60 ksi		400 to 1,470 psi

TRANSONITE® is a licensed trademark of Martin Marietta Composites.