Intimate Blending and Structural Blending
There are several ways to blend fibers into ropes,
i.e., intimate and structural blendings. Intimate
blending is the case in which different fiber types
are mixed uniformly in the system, whereas the
different fiber types concentrate at different locations
in the system in the case of structural blending.
“It is common, for example, for a jacket to be
made of polyester around a high-modulus fiber
core. There can also be intimate blends. In ropes
that are subject to high loading, a polyester/
polypropylene blend can minimize the effects of
heating. At a temperature when the polypropylene
melts, absorbs heat and prevent further
temperature rise, the polyester remains effective.”