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Mark Sennett
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Kelly Rose
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White paper on head protection
01 November 2017
Centurion, the above-the-neck personal protective equipment specialist, has released a new white paper in partnership with the University of Warwick, that clarifies the differences between two of the most common materials used in helmet and cap protection systems.
Written by Centurion’s technical & operations director Dr Mandy Humphreys, in collaboration with Dr Kylash Makenji from the University of Warwick, the paper outlines the key advantages in using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) over High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in the production of protective shells. The whitepaper was released at the A+A Trade Fair & Congress in Dusseldorf.
Dr Humphreys said: “Currently there is some confusion in the marketplace regarding polymer choice and rationale, but ABS has evolved to have superlative performance characteristics. ABS is an ideal material for structural applications where impact resistance, strength and stiffness are required.”
End users of head protection state their most common product requirements to be safety, durability and comfort. Centurion’s majority ABS range offers all of this through a wide selection of above-the-neck safety solutions.
Dr Kylash said: “The material properties of ABS make it ideal for the often robust environments in which safety helmets are exposed, by providing a protective shell at a weight that is comfortable to wear for 8-12 hour at a time. It is the clear choice for a premium product that aims to exceed safety standards.”
Dr Humphreys added: “ABS has over 66 times the compressive strength of HDPE, three times the tensile strength, and 1.7 times the hardness. It’s important to remember that the protective shell of a helmet can be attacked from any angle and therefore the more robust ABS is preferable.”
Other European manufacturers typically tend to suggest that products will sustain performance claims for five years from manufacture. Centurion is particularly confident in its majority ABS range and therefore typically states five years in storage plus five years in use.
To download the technical whitepaper, titled ‘The optimal choice to protect your most important asset: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) used in the manufacture of Above-The-Neck safety equipment’, please visit: http://centurionsafety.eu/ABS/" http://centurionsafety.eu/ABS/
