Helmets Q about manufacture of Nolan Helmets

Joined
Sep 4, 2013
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Cleveland
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2010 ST1300
In the current issue of OTL (BMW mag), Jane Schluter writes (I assume she is the author - the article is unsigned) about her tour of the Nolan factory in Italy. She writes:
For the manufacture of the polycarbonate helmets only pure polycarbonate is used, not ABS - the material used for the construction of most of the other helmets on the market and proven to have a significantly lower mechanical resistance than polycarbonate. These particles are then injection-molded in a high impact and thermal resistant resin called LEXAN TM.

I have a couple of questions - and will ignore her obviously laypersons understanding of what is going on and quoting what Nolan wanted her to write.
Q1. I'm not sure what she means by mechanical resistance - but I assume she is talking about impact strength, of the finished shell, compressive and shear strengths of polycarb vs ABS, and maybe even abrasion resistance.
Is this correct?
Q2. Is her description of the injection molding accurate - are polycarb particles/granules/chips/fragments mixed with a resin and this is then injection molded? Does the polycarb dissolve in the resin? From her description, polycarbonate shells are a 'concrete' - a mixture of strong particles (aggregate - here polycarb) bound together by a cement (Lexan resin).
 

T_C

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I'm no tin the industry anymore and don't have easy access to the numbers, so I won't answer #1 with specifics, but polycarb is termed unbreakable due to shattering. If you want to make bullet resistant mold-able material, this is great stuff.

Q2, molding is possible and usually done from chips, err.. more like pellets. Many plastics, ABS included with polyethylene and polycarb, can be melted down (at the proper temperature) and reformed. No solvents/resin needed and zero to minimal strength loss incurred.

Try yourself, grab some plastic grocery bags and put them in a no-stick pan. Place in oven heated to 350° F. Form into shape desired.
 
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All I know is that Nolan makes damn fine helmets, especially for the $, and their customer service is wonderful. Love my N-104 but it is ready for retirement.
 
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