As a prominent material for future aerospace applications, advanced thermoplastic composite materials are currently triggering a series of activities among aerospace manufacturers, designers, component manufacturers, and molding processors. The research and development of thermoplastic composite materials for aerospace is accelerating, and more trials involving thermoplastic composite materials are underway.
Some new companies are also entering the market, obtaining supplier qualifications from aerospace manufacturers, and strengthening existing supply chains. Innovative manufacturing methods using thermoplastics are being developed, improved and launched. All these signs indicate that the application of thermoplastic materials in the next generation of commercial aircraft and related applications will greatly increase.
Factors such as advances in the production, molding and manufacturing of thermoplastic materials have become the main factors for the increasing availability of thermoplastic materials. In some aerospace applications, these materials have obvious advantages over metals such as thermoset plastics and aluminum. They also coincide with emerging trends in the aerospace manufacturing industry, including the acceleration of aircraft assembly and production, and the development of advanced commercial aircraft design.
Analysis of Advantages of Thermoplastic Composites for Aerospace
Aerospace-grade thermoplastic composite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), have the broadest application prospects in the modern aerospace field. Thermoplastic prepreg is produced on the main roll and can be converted into slit tape, chopped fiber or other forms. These products are optimized to achieve high efficiency and increasingly streamlined parts production.
Aerospace-grade thermoplastics are lightweight, high-temperature resistant, and have high toughness and impact resistance. Other key features include:
Low moisture absorption
Excellent wear resistance
Excellent resistance to flame/smoke toxicity
Low emission of volatile chemicals
Low thermal cycle expansion coefficient
Although the supply chain of thermosetting plastics is more complete, and the application history as aerospace structural parts is also longer, recent technology and process developments are improving the competitive landscape of thermoplastic materials. For example, manufacturers and precision molding processors are improving the accuracy of the cutting and conversion process to produce a greater variety of advanced components.
Thermoplastics and thermosets have relatively similar performance characteristics, but they have significant differences in processing and handling requirements. Although thermoplastics require higher processing temperatures than thermosets, they can be stored at room temperature and have an almost unlimited shelf life.
On the contrary, thermosetting plastics must be frozen and thawed before processing to maintain their mechanical properties during transportation and storage. The stipulated shelf life of thermosets, the time required for thawing and freezing, and the need to track total freezing time and thawing time, all of which add up to additional costs that have nothing to do with thermoplastics.
Thermoplastic materials also have the advantage of being recyclable. Unlike thermoset plastics, thermoset plastics undergo an irreversible chemical reaction during processing and cannot be remelted. Thermoplastics can be reprocessed after use, so that thermoplastic resins and reinforcing fibers can be recycled or reused for other applications.
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Post time: Sep-10-2021