Ekoa "Flax" Fiber

Learn more about the properties of EKOA®

Vibration Damping with Ekoa®, Ekoa® composites have outstanding damping properties for an engineering material with a unique stiffness-damping combination. With 20-30 % higher specific stiffness than fiberglass, Ekoa® composites exhibit three times higher damping than carbon and fiberglass.

Ekoa® as fascia layer, Ekoa® composites are naturally very strong and stiff besting the stiffness of fiberglass. Solid laminates as thin as 1/16th” (1.5mm) can be used for structural applications.

Ekoa® as fascia layer + carbon fiber, The image to the right shows a tube made with two layers of Ekoatape on the surface and several subsequent layers of unidirectional carbon fiber. The effect is an authentic hard wood-like aesthetic with Ekoa® contrasting subtle carbon fiber. With this type of ‘hybrid’ layup you get the damping and look of Ekoa® with the added rigidity of carbon fiber. This sample has no finish but has been sanded.

Ekoa® as core layer/s, Applications requiring the stiffness and strength of carbon – such as a high-performance bicycle frame – the dynamic properties of the structure can be greatly improved by replacing some of the carbon with an Ekoa® layer. Using the right amount and position within the hybrid structure will generate what is commonly known as constrained-layer damping. Standard constrained damping layers are usually made from highly viscoelastic polymers with poor structural properties, relatively complicated to integrate during processing and adding a lot of weight to the structure. In comparison, Ekoa® is light, has great structural properties and is processed the same way as carbon.