I’ve heard of kevlar and vectran being used to resist impact and i have some experience with kevlar but none with vectran, in fact i haven’t seen it much at all even online.
Anybody have experience with these two materials?
I have experience in form of hybrid plain fabric kevlar+vectran.
Vectran is a polyester with mechanical characteristics similar to aramid fiber, although it seems to be superior when abrasion is the main issue.
What’s funny is that the guy who was working with this material believed it was carbon, due to the black color of vectran fibers. But it was sufficient the flame of a candle to dissolve the fibers !
Used with vynylester and epoxy there are no problems; with poly I don’t know.
Anyway too expensive , with a price near an hybrid kevlar+carbon fabric; if stiffness is important is not the right choice (in my experience). Not to say the amount of resin to wet out it.
Vectran is a LCP made from polyester. It’s great because it is not effected by UV as much as kevlar, and won’t change color in light as kevlar does. Wonderful abrasion, and puncture resistance. I have used a PW 6oz fabric, and a non-woven batting style. It is a BEACH AND A HALF to cut!!! The best I have found, for both styles of fabrics is a sharp hot-knife. Even my 500$ shears have a hard time, while they just rip through kevlar. We have used it sucessfully with VER resin, along with ionomer, PP, PE, and TPUR film infusions. (and sometimes a mix)
Post processing is just like kevlar…a pain to cut. Waterjet is one of the few things that do it well.
I would prefer vectran over kevlar any day for what I do. 
Where are you able to get vectran from? I would love to get some uni, but was only able to find one shop, in Greece, that sells vectran (and its only in twill).
PM sent. I know of someone that knows
Is there somewhere I could get a small sample of this material? Maybe 4x4 in square. I’m very curious to see what it’s like.
I would like one also if I could.
send me your addys. I’ll see what I have. I think I found a few cut offs.
Thanks Riff! I just got your sample of vectran. This stuff is very neat.
good luck cutting it 
Kevlar shears won’t work?
Mine don’t 
Canyon that’s weird that we both received our samples on the same day again, the same thing happened with the MTI hose. I would think since Riff is on the east coast and I’m in the Midwest that I would’ve gotten my sample first. 
Oh well.
That is funny. the USPS is weird.
Anyway, the best way I have found to cut this material is a hotknife with a large flat blade with a little curve (vs, like, a totally round one). It heats and melts the fibers. However it seals the end so it’s hard to shear. But, since I use it in flat panels, all is good.
Now, inpregnate it in something, and it cuts with good scissors or a knife. That way the fibers are locked into place, and don’t move around the shearing blades. Needlepunched (like breather) vectran is worse to cut!!
Don’t worry Roto, you’re still special haha.
Vectran sounds like a good material to make sportbike case covers… those guys always go down and scuff up their stator or case covers.
riff42, I am a student at the University of Delaware. I’m prototyping a carbon-aramid-fiberglass hockey helmet for a materials engineering course. I wasn’t able to pm for some reason. Please email me sawyeraj@udel.edu
I am not totally sure on how well the friction wear holds up to kevlar, but if it’s THAT hard to cut, I would think it’s damn good.
They did use it for some of the Mars lander balloon things.
Just got mine as well…perfect sample to make up some damping tests. Thanks.
We build kayaks both in kevlar and Vectran.
Vectran outperforms kevlar hands down in a kayak used on rivers.
Needs to be a loose weave or same as kevlar it will delaminate.
Yes a bitch to cut until you learn how and with what, sorry cant post how as its a inhouse secret.
Works well with epoxy and vinylester, using it with poly would be a waste in our game.
Hello,
I don’t mean to post on a possibly dead thread. However, I created this account just to ask this question. Where can I buy vectran fabric? I am really interested on how tough this stuff is. If anyone knows were to get some please let me know.
Thanks,
Benjamin
I have found two suppliers: Kubota and Fibermax. Both are only plain weave, although if you find it in any other forms (preferably uni or 8-Harness or something in-between) I would love to know.