This document summarizes a presentation given by Gary L. Burgess on motorcycle safety and technology to the American Chemical Society and American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The presentation covered topics such as motorcycle airbags, traction control systems, anti-lock braking, self-balancing motorcycles, and advances in tire and helmet technology using materials like carbon fiber, graphene, and viscoelastic polymers.

1. American Chemical Society
&
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Motorcycle Safety & Technology
January 22nd
“It was only when I
bought a motorcycle that
I found out that
adrenaline is brown.”
g
or

2. .
.
Gary L Burgess PE
Food / Biopharma / Specialty Chemical
MSChE Study – Marshall University
BSME / MSSE - Michigan State University
International Study – American University in Cairo
773 Plants Worked / Toured
34 States / 8 Countries Worked
1,350 Professional Development Hours
152 Airports / 2 Cars Won / 2 Holes-in-One
Gary.L.Burgess@gmail.com – (704) 543 – 1879
WV - 7800
Arctic Circle
Photo taken while eating at
http://moabsunsetgrill.com/

3. .
.
5 Summers of Engineering Employment
5 Years Industrial Waste Water Plants Design / Start-up
10 Years in Microelectronics Industry
10 Years in Specialty Chemical
20 Years in Biopharma Industry

4. The Goal is to Touch on the First 10 Sections of
.
• Section 1 - Conversion Factors and Mathematical Symbols
• Section 2 – Physical and Chemical Data
• Section 3 - Thermodynamics
• Section 4 - Heat and Mass Transfer
• Section 5 - Fluid and Particle Dynamics
• Section 6 - Reaction Kinetics
• Section 7 - Process Control
• Section 8 - Process Economics
• Section 9 - Transport and Storage of Fluids
• Section 10 – Heat Transfer Equipment
PERRY’S CHEMICAL ENGINEERS’ HANDBOOK
l“MotorcycleSafetyandTechnology”

5. Motorcycle Safety and Technology from
Airbags to Whistles
.
2006
Inflator
Larger
than
scale
b

6. M
Head ‘held’ in place by Helmet & Inflated Vest
Air Vest inflates with CO2 when Driver leaves the bike through a strap
system attached to bike
1
Minor Collision ≤ 30 mph +/-
Somersault Catapult
Bike
60 cc
at 850
psig
CO2
1
4

7. In 1972 working on the development of the
airbags the inflator was the size of a small
scuba tank and completely filled / replaced
the glove box of a Buick Electra 225.
.
CO2 Cartridges are filled with liquid
Carbon Dioxide.
Takata ?Hybrid? GoldWing Inflator
is filled with Nitrogen – N2 It was
recalled because of corrosion.
Correction was achieve with the use /
addition of desiccant.
60 cc CO2
@ 850 +/-
psig
125 +/- cc N2
@ 1,000 +/-
psig ?
3,000 psig
Trivia - Side / Head Airbags use nitrous oxide - N20 or helium – He2
4

8. Highly Reactive KNO3 –
Potassium Nitrate reacts
with Sodium metal to form
Sodium Oxide Na2O &
Nitrogen
Chemical Engineers /
Chemists 'What Excites’ Mechanical
Engineers
Highly Toxic NaN3 – Sodium
Azide decomposes at 300oC to
Sodium & Nitrogen Gas
Highly Reactive K2O –
Potassium Oxide reacts
with Sodium Oxide &
Silica to from an alkaline
silicate glass Na2K2SiO4
How did
they fill
the N2
Cylinder?
2NaN3 2Na + 3N2
10Na + 2KNO3
K2O + 5Na2O + N2
K2O + Na2O + SiO2 Na2K2SiO4
Most Inflators

9. ‘Whistle Stop’&
No. 685 of 764
Plants
Whistle saved Rose Dawson
(Kate Winslet)
“Better
to have
and not
need
than
need
and not
have.”
Low Technology
1

10. .
.
GPS Trackers connect directly to Satellites and GEOS*
*GEOS International
Emergency Response
Coordination Center
High
Technology to
within a Foot
2013
Trip
g

11. 1) 310 Horsepower Production Motorcycles
2) Self Balancing & Robotically Driven Motorcycles
3) Anti – Locking Braking Systems - ABS
a. Combined ABS
b. Electrically Controlled Combined - ABS - ‘Brake by Wire’
c. Motorcycle Stability Control - MSC
Motorcycle Technology is Amazing
l

12. .
.

13. .
.
b

14. .
.
Koenigsegg – Regara – 450 km/hr – 279.6 mph –
1,500 HP – 5.0 Liter
(1,100)
(241)
(241)
(215)
(HP)
4
(1,797)

15. .
.
Tires
Stability
Heat
Traction Control
Winglet
for
Stability
Carbon
Fiber
Fairing
to create
Down-
ward
Pressure
Limiting
Factors
For Speed
5

16. .Traction Control – Must for 310 Hp
• KTRC (Kawasaki Traction Control)
• KEBC (Kawasaki Engine Brake Control) and
• KLCM (Kawasaki Launch Control Mode)
• All to control wheel spin and wheelies while allowing the
rider to launch from a stop with the throttle held wide open.
Heat
• The radiator offers superior cooling performance because it
flows approximately 1.5x more air than other bikes.
• This along with an oil cooler handles the approximate
500,000 Btu’s/hr - C8H16 + 24 O2 -> 8 CO2 + 8 H2O + heat
1

17. .
.
• 380V 20 kwh battery pack
(Range of 160-180 miles)
Internal Permanent Magnet -
IPM liquid cooled 150kw+
10,500 rpm electric motor
(200 hp & 168 ft·lbs of torque)
495 Pounds351 km/hr
1

18. 200HP Mill
No. 1 Choice of 100 ChE’s & ME’s
ChE’s - 97 ME’s - 95 ME’s - 3
200 HP Pump
447T TEFC 200 HP
Motor ~ 2000+ Pounds g
“We” did not have
Women Engineers
when I went to
school…
Kady500BMill

19. High Technology in Development
Self Balancing Motorcycle for those that cannot
Balance a Motorcycle below 3 mph
.
.
l
A Robot that races a Production
Motorcycle @ 200+ km/hr
Launched from a Docking Pad
&

20. https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=
VH60-
R8MOKo&index=
2&list=RDOkf283
Ct-NY
Self Balancing
Motorcycle
Video
shows Bike
Following
Technician
b

21. Increased Tire Life and Traction
with the use of Multiple Compounds, Nano Silica,
“Loading a Tire”
and
Computer Designed / Simulated Tread Patterns
.
Tire Technology
4

22. Dual
Compound Tires
Wear Center w/
Soft Side Walls
.
Rear Tire Mileage
Approx.
1980's 5,000+
1990's 10,000+
2000's 15,000+
2010's 20,000+
Nano Silica –
Increases
Mileage
& Wet
Traction
Radials
Nano Silica
Dual
Compounds
4

23. .
.
NATURAL RUBBER
Natural rubber provides specific performance and is especially good for tear and fatigue crack
resistance.
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS / ‘RUBBER’
Butadiene rubber and styrene butadiene rubber provides rolling resistance, wear and traction.
Halogenated polyisobutylene rubber (XIIR) or halobutyl rubber causes the inner liner to be
impermeable.
STEEL
High Tensile Strength Steel Wire stiffens the tire casing and improve wear / handling.
TEXTILES
Rayon / Nylon / Polyester and / or Aramid cords provide dimensional stability and help
support the vehicle weight.

24. .
.
A Polymer
of Isoprene
(2-methylbuta-1,3-diene)
with the Chemical Formula
(C5H8)n
NATURAL
RUBBER

25. .
.
‘SYNTHETIC’
NATURAL RUBBER

26. .
.
Butadiene
Rubber
Halogenated
Polyisobutylene
Rubber

27. .
.
FILLERS
Carbon black and amorphous precipitated silica reinforce the rubber and improve
properties such as tear, tensile strength and abrasion. Nano Silica
improves rolling resistance.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants help prevent breaking down due to the effect of temperature and oxygen
exposure.
ANTIOZONANTS
Antiozonants to impede the effects of exposure to ozone on the surface of the tire.
CURING SYSTEMS
Sulfur and zinc oxide shorten the vulcanization time and impact the length and number
of crosslinks in the rubber matrix.

28. .
Nano Silica
The silica particles extracted from natural
resources contains metal impurities not favorable
for advanced scientific and industrial applications
The sol-gel process which uses Sodium Silicate
produces the ‘maybe’ best Nano Silica and is the
‘maybe’ the most commonly used process.

29. .
.
Na2(SiO2)7 + H2SO4 + O → 7 SiO2 + Na2SO4 + H2O
Na2SiO3 + H2SO4 → SiO2 + Na2SO4 + H2O
Precipitated silica starts with the reaction of an alkaline
silicate solution with a mineral acid. Sodium Silicate &
Sulfuric Acid solutions are added simultaneously with
agitation to water.

30. .
Solutionsofsodiumsilicates canbeproducedbytreatingamixtureofsilica
(usuallyasquartzsand),causticsoda,andwater,withhotsteaminareactor.
2x NaOH + SiO2 → (Na2O)x·SiO2 + x H2O
Sodiumsilicates canalsobeobtainedbydissolvingsilicaSiO2(meltingpoint
-1713°C)inmoltensodiumcarbonate(thatmeltswithdecomposition
at851°C)
x Na2CO3 + SiO2 → (Na2O)x·SiO2 + CO2
Thematerialcanbeobtainedalsofromsodiumsulfate(meltingpoint884°C)
withcarbonasareducingagent
2x Na2SO4 + C + 2 SiO2 → 2 (Na2O)x·SiO2 + 2 SO2 + CO2

31. .
.
Silica nanoparticles are made via the sol-gel process, reverse
microemulsion, and / or flame synthesis.
The sol-gel process is widely applied to produce silica due to
its ability to form pure and homogenous products. The
process involves hydrolysis and condensation of metal
alkoxides (Si(OR)4) such as tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS,
Si(OC2H5)4) or inorganic salts such as Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3)
in the presence of mineral acid (e.g., HCl) or base (e.g., NH3)
as catalyst.

32. .
.
Front Rear
Direction
of
Rotation
Tire Grooves
have opposite
angles of attack
between front
and rear.
Cosecant Wave tread
grooves that
continuously match
the forces running
through the tread face
of the tire during
cornering.
6/32nds 10/32nds
5

33. .
.
ABS – Anti Lock Braking
MSC – Motorcycle Stability
Control
1

34. .
.
Combined ABS – Anti-Lock Braking System I hit a natural
frequency from a
series of small
bumps / dips and
I went airborne
on the ‘Dalton’
or the Haul Road
near the Arctic
Circle. I came
down on the front
tire grabbing the
front brake…
My GoldWing

35. .
.
Required ‘only’ when ignition is ‘Off’
Electrically Controlled Combined - ABS
Brake by Wire
g

36. Combined & Electronically Controlled 'CombinedABS'
both
Result in Decreased Stopping Distance
by
Balances Front & Rear Brake Pressure for Optimum Stopping
.
l

37. .
Motorcycle Stability Control – MSC
by Robert Bosch
Measures a ‘Dozen + Variables’and controls both
Engine & Braking to prevent Loss of Wheel Control
b
STMicroelectronics
Nordic
Analog Devices
Honeywell

38. .
.
It prevents Wheel Spin, Wheelies, High Siding, Low Siding &
Centrifugal Force from Throwing You Outside Your Lane
No MSC MSC
Safe
Braking
with
Proper
‘Loading
of the
Tires’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-W1k5P2NYA
4

39. .
.
A Few of the Measured Variables

40. .
.
A few more of a ‘Dozen Plus Inputs’

41. .
.
MSC – Calculates Torque from
• Throttle Position
• Gear Position
• Engine RPM
Then Controls Engine by
• Shutting Off Multiple Fuel Injectors
• Shutting Off Air to Engine*
• Causing Engine Misfire*
• Retarding Spark*
4

42. .
.
Motorcycle Stability Control
By Controlling ‘Power’ and Front / Rear Braking
MSC Does What Humans Cannot Do as Quickly
Increasing Safety
1,100,000+ Lines of
Code used in
Energica’s Electric
Bike
127 Goodwin Circle
Mooresville, NC

43. .
.
Visibility is Critical
Major Reason for Motorcycle
Accidents
5
Generally beyond Our Control

44. .
.
Advanced Safety Vehicles – “ASV motorcycles use
reflective fluorescent paint with a forceful yellow color
to help give them a larger appearance and a strong
presences.”
1

45. Lexan TM or
Polycarbonate is
as clear as glass
and 250 times
stronger. It's also
30 times stronger
than acrylic.
.
Lexan TM
gYukon / AK

46. .
.
Chemical Engineers - Chemists love
Carbon - ‘C’ especially
( With / Oxygen -‘O’,
Hydrogen -‘H’ &
Nitrogen - ‘N’ )
l

47. .
.
Carbon Discs and Rotor
with Peak Stopping Power
at 400 o C and 1,500 o C
surface temperatures
Variable Crush
& Lighter
Weight
Carbon Fiber Helmets – Carbon Brakes
b

48. .
.
Graphene’s intrinsic tensile strength 1,300+ times stronger
than high strength alloy ASTM A514 Steel.
‘Graphene Flake’ Helmets are available from Momodesign –
Half of the Impact Energy maybe travels through Helmet vs.
‘Graphene Sheet’ where Essentially All the Energy Would
‘Super Carbon’ - Graphene is
an allotrope of carbon
consisting of a single layer of
carbon atoms arranged in
an hexagonal lattice.
Energy / Heat is Dissipated throughout the structure

49. .
•
Motorcycle Helmet Shell Materials
Polycarbonate
ABS - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Composite Fiber
Fiberglass
Carbon Fiber
Kevlar Fiber

50. .
.
MIPS - Multi-Directional Impact
Protection System
‘Helmet within a Helmet’
7.5 m/s at 45 Degree Impact Angle
Reducing Angular Acceleration
Approximately Half of the Impacts are
in the Lower Portion of the Helmet

51. .
.
Inner Liner
Expanded polystyrene - "EPS" foam*
Expanded polypropylene foam (EPP)
Face shield
Polycarbonate / Lexan
*NCLaw

52. .
.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) vs. Corning Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)
‘Blue’ Dow STYROFOAM™ Trademark (XPS) Building Material
Porous Non - Porous

53. .
.
0.9 mm Cell Wall
Outer Core Has
Weld
Connections
between Tubes

54. .
.Anti Fog - PINLOCK / EverClear
Modular
99 % UV
Reduction
Magic – Trade Marketing /
Secret – Materials

55. .
.
“The viscosity of a viscoelastic
substance gives the substance a
strain rate dependence on time.
Purely elastic materials do not
dissipate energy (heat) when a load
is applied, then removed. However,
a viscoelastic substance loses
energy when a load is applied, then
removed.”
Viscoelastic Armor
4

56. .
.
Viscoelastic Material / Armor
1. Hardens on Impact
2. May absorb / dissipate 50%
+/- of the force
3. Might distribute the force
over an area 2 +/- times
that of the striking force
4. Impact(s) does not destroy
the material
Knee Protector – 50 in2 +/-
5 in2
Impact Area
in Fall – 5 in2
Distribution of Force 10/5 or 2x
~ Impact Area
4
Force
absorbed
10 in2 +/-

57. .
.
Generalized Cost of
Gear
(Cheapest* / High)
Jacket - $150 / $1600
Pants - $100 / $1,000
Helmets - $50 / $1,000
Gloves - $10 / $250
Boots - $50 / $350
* Little to No Protection
5
$1600
$1000

58. .
.
Textiles
Premium Leather is Great but
does not Work with Armor /
Pockets, etc.
(Trivia – Kangaroo is 4x Stronger than Cowhide)
1

59. .
.
StandardizeAbrasionTest
Methods

60. .
.
Motorcycle Gear
Fibers
1) Polyester
2) Cordura – Nylon
3) Kevlar
4) Dyneema
5) Graphene - Future
g

61. .
.
According to the composition of the
main chain, polyesters can be: Polyester
• Most Sold – ‘Just Wrong’
• 2% the Strength of
Dyneema
• Little Abrasion Resistance
• Melts at 295 o C / 482 o F
l

62. .
.
Cordura – Nylon 6,6
• 22% as Strong as
Dyneema
• 25%+/- the Abrasion
Resistance as Dyneema
• Melts at 220 o C / 428oF
b

63. .
.
Kevlar - Poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide
Bold represents Monomer Unit
Dashed Lines Hydrogen Bonds
• Second Most Popular
• 70% the Strength of
Dyneema
• 25%+/- Abrasion
Resistance of Dyneema
• Breaks down with washing
/ use
• Melts at 500 o C / 930 o F
4

64. .
.
DSM’s & “The Dyneema® secret
Dyneema® is produced in a patented gel
spinning process in which the fibers are
drawn, heated, elongated, and cooled.
Stretching and spinning leads to
molecular alignment, high crystallization,
and low density”
Honeywell’s Spectra fiber is made from
ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene
using a patented gel-spinning process.
DuPont's Tensylon ‘draws & tempers’
UHMWPE
4

65. .
.
DuPont acquired BAE Systems from Armor Holdings who
acquired it from Integrated Textile Systems (ITS), a Monroe, N.C.
manufacturer of the high-strength material Tensylon.
Tensylon is derived from an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
polymer and has a wide variety of applications, including advanced
fiber composites for use in ballistic products.
I visited this facility and they ‘draw and temper’ polyethylene to create
vehicle armor, helmet material that is far superior than Kevlar
DuPont UHMWPE – Tensylon
5

66. .
.
Ultra High Molecular Weight
Polyethylene
• 40%+/- Stronger than Kevlar
• 2.5 to 8 Times more Abrasion
Resistant that Kevlar / Nylon
• Abrasion Resistance can
increase up to 40 x when wet.
• Can be washed repeatedly and
break down is minimal
• Melts at 145 o C / 293 o F

67. .
.
• Extremely Low Thermal Transfer compared to Nylon, Dyneema &
Polyester
• High Abrasion Resistance Outperforms Aramids / Nylon
• Cut Resistance is 3X Aramids
• Melt Point over 300o C (Dyneema melts at 130o C)
• Flex Fatigue is 8 to 14 times Aramids
• Non Flammable
• High Chemical Resistance – Washing / Sweating / Bleach which affect
Aramids
Einsteinium
Vanadium

68. .
.
SuperFabric
‘Better to Slide
than Tumble’
1

69. .
.
SuperFabric
15 times +/- the Abrasion Resistance of
Nylon or Kevlar
5 times +/- that of Dyneema
“Slides” – “Does not Grab”
Should be used with Nylon or Dyneema for
Strength
g

70. .
.
Don’t be afraid to ask “Y”
and go for the Gold at the End of the Rainbow…
Gary.L.Burgess@gmail.com (The Dalton - Arctic Circle)
l

71. .
.
‘Thank You - Danke schön’
Gary.L.Burgess@gmail.com

72. References
.
• Honda Self Balancing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH60-
R8MOKo&index=2&list=RDOkf283Ct-NY
• Honda - http://world.honda.com/motorcycle-picturebook/eCBS/
• Cycle World - https://www.cycleworld.com/2014/09/30/2015-kawasaki-ninja-h2r-supercharged-
sportbike-unveiled-at-intermot-2014-motorcycle-show
• Kawasaki - https://www.kawasaki.com/products/2017-Ninja-H2R#
• Kawasaki - https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://ic.maxabout.us//misc/infographics//
The Internet

73. .
.
EN 1621-1: 2012
Part 1 - Requirements and test methods for impact protectors
The principle of the EN 1621-1 test used to assess the protective qualities of armor
worn on the limb joints while riding a motorcycle involves the sample being placed
over a rigid metal hemispherical anvil of radius 50mm which is connected to a rigid
and massive base via a high speed force sensor. A 5kg impactor with a flat strike face
80mm x 40mm is then dropped onto the sample from a height necessary to generate
an impact speed of 4.47m/s - This equates to an impact energy of 50 joules. Then
during the impact the force transmitted through the sample to the anvil is measured
by the high speed force transducer. The lower the force the more protective a product
is considered to be. To pass the standard the mean maximum transmitted force must
be below 35kN and no single value should be over 50kN. The standard includes
additional tests to assess performance in high and low temperature environments
plus after storage in humid conditions.

74. .
Zylon - poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole)) is
a trademarked name for a range of thermoset liquid-crystalline
polyoxazole. This synthetic polymer material was invented and
developed by SRI International in the 1980s and is manufactured by
the Toyobo Corporation. In generic usage, the fiber is referred to as
PBO.
Zylon has 5.8 GPa of tensile strength, which is 1.6 times that
of Kevlar.
Zylon (Degrades
With Heat &
Humidity 60
Minutes Body
Armor)

75. Vectran is a manufactured fiber, spun from
a liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) created by
Celanese Corporation and now
manufactured by Kuraray. Chemically it is
an aromatic polyester produced by the
polycondensation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid
and 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic
acid.
.
Vectron
Although the tensile strength is similar to Kevlar, Vectran still tends to
experience tensile fractures when exposed to significant stress. The wispy, hair-
like fibers tend to fray, to easily acquire dirt, and to readily entangle in hook-
and-loop fasteners, from which they must sometimes then be cut or (when
possible) torn. If used without protective coatings, Vectran has low
resistance to UV degradation.

76. .
.
“The toughest polymer yarn of all time has been made by mixing a polymer
with sheets of reduced graphene oxide (RGOF) and carbon nanotubes
(CNTs) during spinning. The yarns are much cheaper than those using CNTs
as the only additive, producing fibers that can be sewn like threads and coiled
into springs.
One of the most common ways to strengthen polymeric fibers is to mix them
with additives like CNTs during wet spinning. The composite materials
formed have superior toughness to the neat polymers. One type of fiber made
using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and CNTs has a toughness of up to 870J/g,
which is far stronger than spider silk (165J/g) and the synthetic para-aramid
Kevlar (78J/g) used in body armor.”
Reduced graphene oxide (RGOF) and carbon nanotubes

77. Gel spinning
Gel spinning, also known as dry-wet spinning, is used to obtain high
strength or other special properties in the fibers. The polymer is in a "gel"
state, only partially liquid, which keeps the polymer chains somewhat bound
together. These bonds produce strong inter-chain forces in the fiber, which
increase its tensile strength. The polymer chains within the fibers also have
a large degree of orientation, which increases strength. The fibers are first
air dried, then cooled further in a liquid bath. Some high strength
polyethylene and aramid fibers are produced via this process.
.
Cut Resistance

78. .
.
https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/honda-introduces-production-airbag-2006-gold-wing-motorcycle#page-6
Unlike our pyrotechnic inflator
designs, Autoliv's stored gas
designs rely on compressed gas
to deploy the airbag. Our
hybrid designs use an internal
pyrotechnic heating device to
compensate for the cooling
effect, resulting from the
expansion of the compressed
gas when the airbag deploys.
Other award-winning designs
such as our side impact and
head protection inflators use
stored nitrous or helium to
inflate our safety restraints.
-
https://www.autoliv.com/ProductsAndInnov
ations/PassiveSafetySystems/Pages/Airbags
/Inflators.aspx
Honda GoldWing Inflator

79. .
.
Rayon

80. .
. ABS
Polycarbonate

81. .
Polycarbonate Degradation

82. .
Potassium Nitrate

83. .
Polypropylene
.
Polystyrene

84. .
Allotropes

85. .
.
S-Glass has a typical
nominal composition of
SiO2 65wt%, Al2O3 25wt%,
MgO 10wt%.

86. .
.
Nano Silica

87. .
Carbon black is producedby the incompletecombustion of
heavypetroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar,
or ethylene cracking tar.

88. Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the
production of coke and coal gas from coal
Carbon black is producedby the incompletecombustion of
heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, or ethylene
cracking tar.
FCC - Fluid catalytic cracking
Ethylene Cracking Tar – ‘Bottoms’ from an
1500o C +/- Furnace

91. Zero
Motorcycles