Vectran

Vectran is a manufactured fiber, spun from a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) created by Celanese Acetate LLC and now manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd. Chemically it is an aromatic polyester produced by the polycondensation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid.

Vectran's golden fibers are noted for their thermal stability at high temperatures, high strength and modulus, low creep, and good chemical stability. They are moisture-resistant and generally stable in hostile environments. Polyester coating is often used around a Vectran core; polyurethane coating can improve abrasion resistance and act as a water barrier. Vectran has a melting point of 330 °C, with progressive strength loss from 220 °C. As it has low resistance to ultraviolet radiation, it should not be used long-term in outdoor environments.

Although the tensile strength is similar to Kevlar, Vectran still tends to experience tensile fractures when exposed to significant stress. The wispy, hair-like fibers tend to fray, to easily acquire dirt, and to readily entangle in hook-and-loop fasteners, from which they must sometimes then be cut or (when possible) torn. If used without protective coatings, Vectran has low resistance to UV degradation.

Vectran fibers are used as reinforcing (matrix) fibers for ropes, cables, sailcloth, and advanced composite materials, professional bike tires, and in electronics applications. It is used as one of the layers in the softgoods structure of NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit) designed and manufactured by ILC Dover and was the fabric used for all of the airbag landings on Mars: Mars Pathfinder in 1997 and on the twin Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity missions in 2004, also designed and manufactured by ILC Dover . The material was used again on NASA's 2011 Mars Science Laboratory in the bridle cables. The tether of the JLENS military surveillance blimp that became unmoored and crashed in Pennsylvania on Oct. 28, 2015 was made of Vectran.

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