Thermoplastic composites
Providing impact-resistant composites for energy and mining
Matrix Composites & Engineering develops and manufactures high-performance thermoplastic composites designed to withstand impact, corrosion, and harsh environmental conditions. Used across the mining, oil & gas, and marine sectors, our thermoplastic technologies deliver durability, strength, and recyclability which make them ideal for demanding field applications.
Thermoplastic composites use resins such as polypropylene to bind reinforcement fibres like glass, carbon, or aramid. These materials retain the toughness and durability of thermosets while offering a key advantage, they can be reprocessed. Thermoplastic resins can be reheated and reformed, allowing Matrix to recycle offcuts and trimmed material back into the moulding process.
Matrix has been manufacturing thermoplastic components for over a decade and offers a range of scalable manufacturing processes tailored to different structural and performance needs:
- Injection moulding – for small, high-precision parts using short fibre reinforcement
- Large-scale vacuum consolidation – produces structural laminates with continuous fibre reinforcements
- Injection over moulding – combines complex geometry with continuous fibre reinforcement
- Rotomoulding – enables the creation of large, hollow or double-walled thermoplastic structures.
These processes support wide variety of thermoplastic solutions, thing from injection-moulded centralisers and field-replaceable components to advanced systems like Compfil structural laminates and Nautilus Impact Covers for marine riser protection. Often, short and continuous fibres are combined to deliver the benefits of both detailed geometry and structural integrity. This provides a lightweight, corrosion-resistant alternative to traditional metals.
Matrix thermoplastic composites combine structural strength, corrosion resistance and recyclability — ideal for precision parts, large-scale panels and hybrid components used in mining, marine and energy applications.
KEY BENEFITS
Recyclable
Thermoplastic resins can be reprocessed, reducing waste and supporting circular manufacturing
Impact and Fatigue Resistant
Withstands harsh conditions, repetitive stress, and mechanical impact
Highly Durable
Tough enough for structural and field-exposed applications
Lightweight
Reduces system weight and infrastructure requirements
Tailorable Properties
Tuned to meet specific thermal, mechanical, and environmental performance needs
Operational Efficiency
Reduces downtime and maintenance costs through durable, impact-resistant design.
Lightweight
Reduces system weight and infrastructure requirements
Tailorable Properties
Tuned to meet specific thermal, mechanical, and environmental performance needs
Operational Efficiency
Reduces downtime and maintenance costs through durable, impact-resistant design.
APPLICATIONS
Thermoplastic composites are used across mining and energy industries to reduce weight, improve durability, and overcome corrosion or wear issues. Common Matrix applications include:
- Nautilus impact covers protecting marine risers with durable glass fibre and polypropylene laminates
- Compfil structural laminates providing lightweight, fibre-reinforced panels for demanding applications
- Injection moulded centralisers offering abrasion and fatigue resistance in harsh environments.
- Over moulded hybrid components combining fibre strength with injection-moulded detail.
- Riser and pipeline protectionsystems built for offshore durability and corrosion resistance.
- Metal replacement parts using structural polymers to reduce weight and cost.