Development of performance fabrics for nautical applications with superior durability

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Kiteboarding is a water sport with a large number of specific needs on the mechanical properties of their equipment. Indeed, one of the central requirements of this sport is the large and inflatable kite which is used to harness the power of the wind and launch the riders on the water and into the air at high speed. Over the last year, the major brand manufacturers focused on the reduction of kite's weight. Lightweight properties allow beginners users to get on the water with a low wind and calmer sea, perfect for practicing. In competition, it ensures the continuity of the event even if the wind drops to low levels. This focus led industry to perform research on their products. Over the past decade, the average weight of a kite dropped by over 30%. However, the technical limit will soon be reached with the current sail materials used in the market (Dacron, Dyneema® ...). The objective of this project is the development and the process optimization of a new material: a laminated lightweight fabric including the combination of various polymer fibers and polymer films. The nature of the material will confer superior shock and abrasion resistance than the existing materials while the specificities of the assembly process will provide extreme lightness and maneuverability to the kite. The main challenge of the project will be the optimization of the individual components and of the lamination process. Numerous production parameters will be identified and tested in order to assess the influence of each parameteron the global performance of the material and estimate the mechanical properties of future prototypes based on their production process. Other secondary challenges will need to be studied like the creation of an ultimate testing environment able to simulate real life conditions of use (salt, water, wind, temperature, sand ...) and therefore characterize the durability and performance of the prototypes after actual ageing.