What drives the material choice in sports footwear?

In the 3D printing industry, producing functional components that match the performance of traditional manufacturing methods requires materials that offer an optimal balance of low weight and high mechanical strength.

Among these, carbon fiber-reinforced PA11 stands out as a bio-based solution that combines mechanical properties, chemical resistance and sustainability.

On the other hand, carbon fiber-reinforced PA12 remains one of the most established solutions for producing high-performance components, especially in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and precision engineering.

Which one to choose?

In the Chemical Process Industry (CPI), selecting the right materials is essential to ensuring the longevity and reliability of critical components such as pumps, valves, pipes, cables, batteries and sensores.

Xenia has designed a new range of materials based on PVDF, engineered to combine high performance and reliability for advanced applications.

In eyewear manufacturing, the careful selection of materials is critical to achieving an optimal balance between performance, comfort, style and sustainability.

Applications such as frames, protective eyewear, temples and other components require essential properties like lightweight, impact resistance and durability.

These characteristics are directly influenced by the choice of the right materials and are crucial to ensuring eyewear that is both durable and comfortable, enhancing the overall user experience.

Xenia’s expertise allows manufacturers to achieve high flexibility in terms of mechanical performances and design, resulting in versatile applications suitable for different environments.

Xenia® Materials is pleased to introduce the Whitened Shade colour option to its carbon fibre reinforced grades. This new finish offers a lighter base colour compared to the natural black variant, making it colourable with masterbatch during the injection moulding and 3D Printing processes by pellets.

Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastics composites are highly valued for their strength, lightweight and durability, making them essential materials in sectors such as consumer goods, industrial applications and mobility. However, the natural black colour of carbon fibre, when combined with thermoplastic matrices, has traditionally limited its use in applications where design is important.

To overcome this challenge, Xenia has developed a new technology that produces carbon fibre reinforced materials with a whitened base colour. The result is a thermoplastic compound that not only offers excellent mechanical properties but also achieves a Whitened Shade colour, allowing it to be coloured by adding masterbatch during both the injection moulding and 3D printing processes by pellets.

Xenia will showcase its Whitened Shade materials at JEC World 2025, taking place from 4 to 6 March in Paris – France, at Hall 5, Booth D79.

Xenia® Materials is proud to have contributed to the success of Nyx, the innovative aircraft designed by Fly Mi – EUROAVIA Milano, the student association of engineers and designers from the Politecnico di Milano.

This project represents a significant achievement for both the Politecnico di Milano and Xenia Materials, highlighting how collaborations between industry and academic institutions can lead to groundbreaking advancements in innovation.

For the academic year 2023/2024, Fly Mi decided to participate in its first international competition: the Air Cargo Challenge, held in Germany last July.
Faced with the rules and restrictions imposed by the competition, the team developed and built Nyx, an ambitious drone crafted from composite materials. With a length of 1,5 meters and a wingspan of 3 meters, Nyx represents a remarkable achievement in engineering and design.

To meet the high demands of the Nyx project, Xenia Materials stepped in, supplying XECARB® 40-C20-3DP, a 20% carbon fibre reinforced polycarbonate specifically designed for Additive Manufacturing market. This material was essential in the creation of the moulds used for laminating the wings and control surfaces, which are crucial for the drone’s flight capabilities.

“With its low CTE values, the material provided by Xenia significantly reduced issues related to thermal shrinkage during the design phase, enabling us to produce higher-quality parts.
Furthermore, the absence of permanent deformations in the moulds after use, along with the resistance of internal surfaces to release agents, allowed us to repeatedly laminate the movable surfaces and test various internal configurations to find the best solution.” said the students who took part in the project.

The feedback of the engineers reflects how Xenia’s advanced material ensured the reliability and superior performance needed for the ambitious goal of the project:
“At Fly Mi EUROAVIA, we partnered with Xenia Materials to meet the demanding performance standards of our project. The lightness, recyclability and ease of handling of the moulds were key advantages, complemented by the increased sustainability of the process, adding significant value to our work.
Thanks to this collaboration, the Nyx project successfully achieved its ambitious goals, integrating advanced material science with pioneering aerospace engineering.” said M.H., serving as president of the Fly Mi Euroavia association at the time.

Discover more about the Academic & Research Support Program, Xenia’ s dedicated program for collaboration with universities, research centres and institutes of technology.

XECARB® 31 is Xenia’s latest addition to its Advanced Materials Collection.

This new carbon-fibre reinforced material, based on PA10.10, delivers exceptional strength and durability while being 100% bio-based.

This new material not only represents a step forward in performance but also aligns with Xenia’s commitment to sustainability.

With up to 50% carbon fibre reinforcement, XECARB® 31 ensures increased stiffness, making it ideal for structural applications that demand superior mechanical strength.

Furthermore, this new compound is well-suited for environments that require higher operating temperatures without compromising performance, thanks to its high melting point.

The PA10.10 base polymer ensures significantly reduced moisture absorption, improving long-term durability. Its excellent cold impact resistance makes it suitable for applications frequently exposed to low temperatures, such as outdoor environments and high-altitude settings.
The combination of lightweight construction and rigidity makes the XECARB® 31 optimal for high-performance sports equipment. This material enhances product durability without adding unnecessary weight, making it ideal for competitive sports where performance is crucial.

In the industrial sector, chemical resistance and mechanical stability are key advantages for parts exposed to harsh working conditions. This includes applications where the material’s ability to withstand heat, oil, and grease ensures longevity and reliable performance.

As a bio-based material sourced from castor oil, the PA10.10 significantly reduces dependence on fossil fuels, addressing the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions.

This new compound promotes a more circular and environmentally conscious approach to manufacturing, offering high performance without compromising on sustainability.

XECARB® 31 is available in the XERCARB®, XECARB® HM and XECARB® ST versions