Fiberlay's Orca Coated Blue Peel is a nylon peel ply fabric* coated with a silicone release agent designed to prevent bonding with resin and facilitate easy removal in “resin rich” conditions commonly found with resin infusion processes.
Often used as the first barrier between the composite laminate and the rest of the vacuum bagging materials, Orca Coated Blue Peel is designed to allow resin and air bubbles to bleed through the material producing a textured, bondable finished surface while the silicone release coating provides easy release from the cured laminate.
Blue Peel offers a tighter weave and increased release properties in comparison to other Peel Plies. This construction tends to produce a smooth, very finely textured surfaced which is helpful for secondary bonding or painting of the composite laminate.
Orca Blue Peel can be used in conventional vacuum bagging, resin infusion, and prepreg part manufacturing. It is suitable in vacuum bagging applications up to 400°F (204°C).
Coated Blue Peel provides superior release compared to plain peel plies because the coating prevents the heated fabric from fusing to the laminate while also producing a textured surface.
Coated Blue Peel will provide easy release from most prepregs and resin systems. It is a superior peel ply for resin infusion and other resin rich processes.
It can be used with iso-, mono-, vinyl-, and polyester, as well as epoxy resins. It is not suitable for use with phenolic resins.
All coated peel plies have the potential to transfer.
It is primarily used in vacuum bag and vacuum infusion applications, but is also suitable for hand lay-up processes.
Blue Peel features a fine weave but when laid directly next to your laminate in lay-up, it allows excess resin and air to flow through, eliminating voids in your parts.
• Economical, high temperature nylon peel ply fabric coated with a silicone release agent providing enhanced peel release in difficult environments
• Tightly woven peel ply reduces the need for sanding or abrading when secondary bonding or gel coating will be performed
• Coated peel ply easily strips off cured laminate leaving a lightly textured surface, greatly reducing time spent hand finishing
• Lower cost tightly woven fabric reduces materials cost
• Silicone coating makes it significantly easier to remove than other peel plies, saving production time
• Maximum recommended use temperature of 450° F (232° C) is process specific and dependent on the duration at maximum temperature; test prior to use
• 60" x 10 yards (5 ft x 30 ft)
* Why Use Peel Ply?
At times, it can be challenging to achieve a smooth surface when working with epoxy and polyester resins. It can take several coats of resin to “fill the weave," followed by hours of sanding to get to a surface finish that’s ready for paint or varnish.
Depending on your workpiece, peel plies potentially allow you to eliminate or reduce the need to apply extra filler coats of resin to achieve a smooth, "finished" surface.
“Peel Ply,” also called “Release Fabric,” is a tightly woven, synthetic cloth that you drape over your epoxied (for example) surface as the epoxy sets up. Once the epoxy is cured, you can peel off the fabric, and what’s left behind is a smooth, lightly textured surface that’s ready for a quick sanding, or for the next round of epoxy. No runs, no sags, no low spots.
Note that Peel Ply does not stretch like fiberglass fabrics, so to avoid leaving wrinkles or ridges in the finished surface - which will need to be removed mechanically - it works best when used on flat surfaces.
Alternatively, it can be used with curved or complex shapes by making relief cuts and overlapping sections of the fabric. You will have, undoubtedly, already done this with previous layers of the laminate.