Greengrip

Development of materials for climbing holds

Products - general                                   

Product Line 1 - Composite Stone Materials

Composite stone materials not only greatly resembles natural stones, but also have much better mechanical properties for climbing holds manufacturing. Materials for composite stones are different kind of modificated resins and resin combinations.

Product Line 2 - Lightweight Materials

                              Lightweights materials are specially designed and prepared materials, mostly for large and extra large holds, where strength to weight ratio is of big importance. Lightweight materials are based  on  reinforced and modificated epoxy /silicone/polyurethane resins.

Product Line 3 -   Solvent Free, Non-toxic Materials

A new, solvent free, non-toxic, composite material, is probably, beside wood, one of the most ecological material in climbing holds manufacturing industry. Material is modificated and reinforced water based polymeric material, and no harmful chemicals are used in holds production.

  

Composite Stone Materials                                     

Climbing holds made from GREENGRIP composite stone materials embodies the look and feel of natural rocks, without the ultra sharp edges.
Our climbing holds, mostly have a texture and shape of real rock. Texture and shape are taken straight from the greatest designer and manufacturer -  the nature.

 

 

 

Lightweight Materials

Novel lightweight material is based on epoxy/polyurethane/silicone resins and natural polymers. This material type is specially suitable for large and extra large holds, where strength to weight ratio is of big importance.

This material type is also base for our  "safety hold" product .


Greengrip lightweight holds are in average 20%-50% lighter than most commercially available holds of the same volume:

  Transparent lightweight climbing holds:

 

Solvent Free, Non-toxic Materials 

We have in use a new, water based, organic solvent free, and absolutely non-toxic polymeric material for climbing holds manufacturing. Some of the advantages of this material are as follows:

- no odor
(no dangerous gases)

- non toxic
(no heavy metals, no harmful solvents, no any kind of toxic chemicals)

- no handling of dangerous chemicals
(organic solvents, polyester, epoxy, polyurethane, hardeners)

- no hazard waste
(environmentally friendly)

- flame retardant, self-extinguishing
(safe)

 Only disadvantage of this material we see in fact that there is no strength to weight improvement comparing to most commercially available climbing holds. With environmental issue in mind, this is probably the most environmentally friendly composite materials in climbing holds manufacturing.

This material type is recently on testing.

 

                                     

Production Flow

Greengrip created a unique four stage manufacturing process for composite stones/novel materials from which our holds are made:
 
1. Selection of suitable resin composition
 - Suitable resin, or resin combination, are chosen depending on hold type in question.
 
 
2. Selection of modification/reinforcement agent - resin modification and reinforcement
 - Reinforcement through physical blending and chemical reactions. Reinforcement agents are mostly different kind of inorganic/organic particles. Key parameters for choosing resin reinforcement agents are agents particle size, modulus, strengths, adhesion, and distribution to resin matrix. Before mixing with resin matrix, reinforcement agents are pretreated by coupling agents
 
 
 
3. Selection of coupling agents - pretreatment of reinforcement agent 
Coupling agents are used to improve the bonding between resin matrix and reinforcement agent. By reinforcement agent surface modification general improvement of toughness can be achieved. As coupling agents mostly are used some reactive solvents, organosilanes, resins and like.
 
 
4. Selection of curing agent - polymerization of material
- After resin was selected and carefully mixed with pretreated reinforced agents, curing agent is added in order to get hard material. Selection of curing agent, resin type, reinforcement agent, and coupling agents gives desired mechanical properties to final material.
 
This production flow (STEP1 - STEP4)  is used for Production Lines 1 and 2, Production Line 3 has slightly modificated production flow. 
 
  Colors
- Final products, if painted, are painted by food colors (non-toxic paints) during stage 3. Food colors are used because they are tested for presence of toxic chemicals, and are safer to use than normal dyes and pigments (coded by E-numbers, used in  EU).
 
 
 

Climbing hold materials - requirements

Good material for climbing holds manufacturing,

has:
-high strength (tensile, flexural)
-high strength to weight ratio
-high fracture toughness and hardness
-good impact and abrasion resistance
-good surface detail reproduction

is:
-dyeable with food colors
-possible to be cured at room temperature

 is not:
-health hazard
-expensive

Material properties listed above are not the only properties we would like in our materials. We are using a different resins and a variety of modifiers to obtained desired properties of composite stone materials and novel materials.


For different kind of holds we use different kind of composite stone materials. Example - extra large size holds requires special strength to weight ratio materials, while extra small grips require extra strong materials which mass is not of big importance.

Recent Photos

 

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