Nida-Core H8PP
LIGHT TOUGH QUIET

Nida-Core doesn’t just look good on the lab
charts… it stands up to the tests of the real
world. The wonderful thing about laboratories is
that the results can be controlled by highly
skilled lab technicians but out on the water,
bumps and grinds are accidental. Building with
Nida-Core assures you that your boat is built with
material ready to handle all kinds of stresses. A
core material with unique properties, Nida-Core
Structural Honeycomb combines strength and
resilience as well as excellent structure born
sound damping.

ENGINEERING:

The mechanical properties of Nida-Core Honeycomb
are controlled by the following specifications: 1)
physical properties of the thermoplastic; 2) cell
diameter; 3) wall gauge (thickness of the cell
wall); 4) core thickness; and 5) facings applied
to the core. Altering one or more of these
specifications will produce different performance
characteristics. Nida-Core honeycombs can be
engineered to be a specific weight, absorb a
specific load, rebound at a specified rate and
possess the flexibility or stiffness required by
the end application.

Many cores show exceptional qualities on technical
charts and graphs but lack in areas that they fail
to reveal. Interpreting cold data from a lab chart
is just that, subject to interpretation. The
important question is: ”How does it hold up in the
real world?” Although no core is the answer to
every possible application, Nida-Core boasts the
broadest list of positive features. Some cores are
either stiff, light, quiet or economical.
Nida-Core is all of the above ….and more!
QUIET
Polypropylene honeycomb provides a very low
natural harmonic due to the polypropylene’s
viscoelacity and cell structure, effectively
dampening sound and vibrations. Boats manufactured
with Nida-Core demonstrate a dramatic improvement
in vibrational dampening compared to traditional
construction methods.

LIGHT WEIGHT:

Nature provides the geometry, we provide the
material. Nida-Core is extruded from tough,
versatile polypropylene plastic. (Other materials
are available). Thermo fused to the honeycomb
cells are non-woven polyester bonding scrims with
a polypropylene barrier film to limit resin
consumption. When encapsulated in a laminate it is
recognized by the US Coast Guard as a primary
flotation material in small boats.

ROT PROOF:

PVC and SAN Foams are attacked by styrene and
absorb water when exposed, plywood and balsa rot
or lose strength when wet. Nida-Core does NOT rot
and is unaffected by most solvents and chemical
agents. Additionally, when encapsulated in a
laminate using a non-aqueous resin the scrim forms
a seal limiting water migration through the
structure, even if skin is punctured.

EXCELLENT BOND:

The cell walls are fused into the non-woven
polyester scrim. That coupled with the scrim’s
affinity for virtually any resin or adhesive
system provides exceptional bond and peel strength.

IMPACT RESISTANCE:

There are many cores that can make a light, stiff
structure. Nida-Core, however, combines the light
weight and stiffness of honeycomb with tough
polypropylene plus superior bonding properties due
to the thermo fused scrim. The combination allows
Nida-Core to absorb and dissipate impacts and
shocks repeatedly that would cause ultimate
catastrophic failure in other core materials.

THERMAL INSULATION:

Nida-Core’s ability to dissipate heat from the
bondline prevents heat from accumulating either in
the core or in the critical skin laminate so heat
deflection temperatures are not exceeded. While
the combination of polypropylene cell walls and
dead air space provides insulation properties,
there is some radiational transfer through the
cell that prevents heat banking at the bondline.
If greater thermal insulation is required we can
provide foam filled honeycombs.

Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb is
used extensively in this Club Med Resorts
catamaran dive boat in the Caribbean Islands, from
the hull to superstructure. Again, the vessel
benefits from Nida-Core exceptional sound
dampening properties, making the day trips
enjoyable in this quiet boat. Additionally, the
weight savings resulting from the use of sandwich
construction, enable the craft to utilize smaller
motors and bigger fuel tankage, giving the vessel
extended range.

This rental truck body in the UK is cored with
Nida-Core H8PP core to make the composite bodies
more damage tolerant and resilient, so they can
withstand the rigors of everyday abuse. Sandwich
composite truck bodies reduce weight, therefore
increasing payload capacity and saving fuel .

French auto manufacturer Renault uses
polypropylene honeycomb fused to GE AZDEL skin and
PP carpet in its sandwich constructed floors,
aiding this Spyder to achieve exceptional
torsional rigidity and rendering the floor
recyclable.

Nida-Core resilient honeycomb products are ideally
suited for many types of body armor applications.
The resilient nature of Nida-Core Structural
Polypropylene honeycomb benefits the body armor by
absorbing and dissipating impact stresses.
Nida-Core FC can be tailored for almost unlimited
applications, engineered to suit the end-users
requirements, from several different types of
thermoplastics.

Leading heavy truck manufacturer WESTERN STAR
trucks rely on Nida-Core for sandwich construction
for sleeper cabs.

This American icon, made famous in the 1990’s
protecting our troops during Gulf War, relies
heavily on the inherent toughness of Nida-Core
polypropylene honeycomb which provides the
necessary characteristics to construct the roof
for this ultimate troop mobility vehicle.
Nida-Core is ideally suited for transportation
application as it is easily thermoformed in large
sheets and contours easily to the required
curvature, at the same time providing necessary
toughness for this intensive use application and
cost effectiveness demanded by large automotive
OEMs.

The intricate shape of these retro travel trailers
shows the unlimited potential of using versatile
Nida-Core polypropylene honeycomb for structural
applications such as the body and floor. As
process requires, foam is often troublesome to
laminate under vacuum pressure, where score kerfs
often create negative pressure areas, where
styrene fumes collect, thus softening the foam
around or leaving un or undercured resin pockets
within the laminate. Due to its elastic nature,
Nida-Core does not have to be scored for vacuum
bag applications, and polypropylene backer to
reduce resin consumption, under the polyester
scrim is sufficient to avoid resin to fill the
hollow honeycomb cells.

The versatility and high strength - to – weight
ratio of Nida Core Structural honeycomb Offers
great advantages to the transportation industry.
The insulating and sound dampening properties of
Nida-Core make it the choice material for the
construction of cabs, floors, walls, doors, panels
and roofs for vans , trucks , trailers and trains.
Lightweight Sandwich construction helps vehicles
reduce tare weight. Lower weight means greater
cargo capacity for truckers, thus greater profits.

Lightweight fiberglass composites busses and
public transport vehicles require less fuel and
maintenance, are more damage tolerant than
aluminum and steel, cause less damage to city
streets.

Nida-Core is 100% recyclable, making it the choice
material for automotive application. Available
with a wide variety of facings, from polypropylene
carpet to patterned skins, entire sections can be
recycled as a whole. Nida-Core sheets are thermo
formable, thus cutting production cost to level
acceptable to large OEM manufacturers.

Always a concern for automotive industry,
Nida-Core, with its corrosion resistance, low
water absorption, and high strength advantages, is
also a suitable choice for oil drilling platform
construction, double containment vessels, tank
bottoms and lids, duct work and wherever corrosion
is a problem and chemical resistance is a must.

no catastrophique failure mode

TestsNida-Core H8PPSI Unit conversion
Compressive Strength NFT 56101 (psi)~2001.3 Mpa
Compressive Modulus ASTM D1621(psi)217515Mpa
Tensile Strength NFT 56130(psi)72.50.5 Mpa
Tensile Modulus ASTM D1623(psi)43575300.5Mpa
Shear Strength NFT 56118(psi)700.5 Mpa
Shear Modulus NFT 56118(psi)11608 Mpa
Thermal Conductivity By Fourier Lawk=.03k=.03
Water Absorption in 24 hours0.10%0.10%
Dimensional Thermal Stability(-40)°F to
(230)°F(-40)°C to (110)°C
Flammability ASTMInflammable, NotInflammable, Not
D776toxic smoketoxic smoke
Density4.8 Lbs/ft380 kg/m3
Peel StrengthExcellentExcellent
Fatigue ResistanceExcellentExcellent
Impact ResistanceExcellentExcellent
Sound AttenuationGreater than 22DbGreater