Innovative polyurethane material rail system Rail vehicles use part of the foam-filled track bed to reduce noise pollution to surrounding residents Leverkusen – a promising new technology is expected to fundamentally change the future of railway construction. The Frenzel-Bau Group is a company specializing in railway construction. The company has developed the innovative rail system Durflex® with Bayer MaterialScience AG and its wholly-owned subsidiary Hennecke GmbH. Durflex® offers excellent noise reduction and long life. With this innovative system, polyurethane foam completely fills the gap between the gravel slag. The displacement of typical gravel slag caused by the power generated by railway traffic is avoided. Usually, this displacement phenomenon is accompanied by the occurrence of rail wear. About Bayer MaterialScience: External Type Vacuum Packaging Machine External Type Vacuum Packaging Machine,External Vacuum Packaging Machine Wenzhou Dajiang Vacuum Packaging Machinery Co.,Ltd. , https://www.djpack-vacuum.com
In the Lower Saxony town of Uelzen, a 300-meter-long new rail system test section is in trial operation and normal rail transport should be launched this month. In addition, the relevant partners of the railway system hope that this test will have a wide range of practical effects in terms of noise reduction and service life of the rail system. The construction of the test section was funded by the Federal Ministry of Railways, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Construction, Urban Development, and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.
For example, many residents living near the railway are plagued by the noise generated by the rolling wheels of cargo transport vehicles. Until now, railway network operators have relied on erecting noise barriers to reduce noise pollution in residential areas. These measures are costly, and noise barriers are often seen as a stain in landscapes - the vast majority of the disadvantages that have been eliminated by the new rail system. Dr. Andreas Hoffmann, a polyurethane specialist at Bayer MaterialScience, said with excitement: “Polyurethane foam fixes the gravel slag and prevents the movement of the gravel slag. Durflex® eliminates the noise caused by the structure in the part where noise is usually generated. â€
Transporting goods by rail is considered to be a more environmentally friendly way than road transport. But once the train carrying heavy loads leaves traces on the track bed, rail network operators such as DB Netz AG have to bear a lot of maintenance costs. “The cost of repair work is high, because if you have to replace the track bed, the railroad must be closed for a while,†explains Fürzel-Bau’s Jürgen Frenzel. “With Durflex®, the maintenance cycle for regular track bed repairs can be Extensively extended. The Durflex® system can be used both for new railway sections and for existing railway sections."
In the preparation of the 300-meter test track in Uelzen, the Durflex® railway system was applied in the same way as the expected future rail. Hennecke's specially designed railway vehicle for this purpose uses a mixer to directly inject a liquid polyurethane material system into the gap of the gravel slag, which completely fills the gap. When the iron rail slag load transfer zone is covered with foam, the expected effect is reached. The polyurethane material system is completely laid out in a short time and the rails can be reused. Similar foam systems have proven to be highly successful in reinforcing rock and in applications as foam for construction industry-specific equipment. According to Hoffmann: “This project is a good example of our close cooperation with our customers in the polyurethane material systems business.†Bayer operates the polyurethane business on a global scale with the brand BaySystems®.
Bayer MaterialScience is one of the world's largest polymer producers with sales of 10.2 billion euros (continuing) in 2006. Its business scope focuses on the development of high-tech polymer materials and innovative solutions for many areas of daily life. The industries served include: automotive, electronics and electrical, construction and sports and leisure. At the end of 2006, Bayer MaterialScience had 30 production sites and approximately 14,900 employees worldwide. Bayer MaterialScience is part of the Bayer Group.