Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 18, 1990 TAG: 9004180025
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY BUSINESS EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The banners, made of Tyvek, a light-weight, non-woven material developed by Du Pont, are used for promotions by J.C. Penney and other retail stores, according to Harold McCabe and Dan DeLacruz of Du Pont. They came from Richmond for the test.
They say Tyvek is more practical than vinyl for banners because it can be recycled and burned as a fuel. That makes the material environmentally "friendly," McCabe says.
Results of the tests made by Aerospace Research Corp. in eastern Roanoke County are used by Du Pont around the world, according to McCabe, a consulting engineer, and DeLacruz, a senior research chemist.
The team watched the wind velocity closely to determine how much wind the banners can withstand, McCabe said. They have made several trips to the mountainside test site.
The lightweight material, containing 63 percent air, was developed in 1967 to cover operating-room shoes. It's also used in suits worn by asbestos removers.
Joe Hamrick, owner of Aerospace, is testing to see how the material ages by using it as a wrap for new houses.
David McGinty, a Du Pont research associate in Richmond, said his company "has saved well over $100,000" by using the Roanoke company for its house-wrap tests.
The house wrap is tested for pressure, water resistance, temperature and supply of oxygen for a simulated life of 20 years or more. The Du Pont people claim the wrap will provide a 57 percent saving in energy because the permeable material keeps air out and allows vapor to escape from a house.
McGinty has given plaques recognizing 1,000 tests performed by Christine Hackett and Mike Kneisley, two of Hamrick's 10 employees.
by CNB