At the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas, Sept. 14-16, 2010, SABIC
Innovative Plastics has launched a new breakthrough technology for semi-structural
aircraft interior parts featuring its high-flying Ultem* polyetherimide (PEI)
resin.
New Ultem composite aerospace board (CAB) sheets, co-developed and manufactured
with Crane & Co., the global leader in specialty paper, provide a superior
alternative to thermoset aramid fiber-reinforced honeycomb composites. The Ultem
CAB sheets can be quickly thermoformed, offer a broad range of high-performance
properties, are recyclable, and offer great potential to be refurbished with
a newly developed decorative film layer while still meeting Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) requirements to extend useful life. The sheets are currently
being trialed by a major airline. Together with the expertise of Crane, SABIC
Innovative Plastics has launched yet another technology that delivers a cost-effective
solution to the global aircraft industry.
SABIC Innovative Plastics and Crane & Company Co-Developed a New Ultem* Composite Aerospace Board for Aircraft Applications like Sidewalls and Ceiling Panels
“With Ultem CAB sheet, SABIC Innovative Plastics and Crane have achieved
dramatic advantages over traditional honeycomb composites across the board,
from slashing cycle time to doubling part life,” said Kim Choate, global
Ultem product market leader, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “With its outstanding
safety performance and light weight, Ultem resin has been a winner in aircraft
interior applications for many years. Now, this resin, in the form of an Ultem
resin and glass fiber-reinforced composite panel, is again demonstrating its
remarkable versatility to be utilized in multiple forms and delivering additional
value to the aircraft industry. We’re confident that Ultem CAB sheet will
become the new gold standard for interior panels.”
“We saw an opportunity to apply our expertise in specialty paper technology
in a totally new way, and chose to collaborate with SABIC Innovative Plastics
because of its leadership in high-performance materials for aircraft interior
applications,” said Dennis Lockyer, vice president of nonwovens and technical
materials, Crane & Co. “Ultem resin was the solution we needed to
create an innovative and technologically advanced paper composite. Our highly
successful relationship with SABIC Innovative Plastics enabled us to diversify
our portfolio and target a new market opportunity.”
State-of-the-Art Thermoplastic Composite Technology
The use of advanced thermoplastics to replace traditional thermosets in aircraft
interiors offers multiple benefits, including the potential for recycling. The
most noteworthy is system cost reduction. Because aramid honeycomb composites
are highly sensitive to moisture and ultraviolet (UV) light, the porous edges
of a part must be laboriously filled and sealed by hand, a process that can
take up to 10 hours. In contrast, Ultem CAB sheet parts can be quickly thermoformed
in minutes and need no secondary finishing, thanks to the excellent UV resistance
and low moisture absorption properties of Ultem resin. In addition to faster
cycle times, Ultem CAB sheet cuts system costs through its ability to be re-skinned
while still meeting required flame-smoke-toxicity (FST) properties to lengthen
its useful life, an option previously not available to customers with aramid
honeycomb composite.
Ultem CAB sheet features the excellent FST performance that Ultem resin is
known for. The material exceeds the stringent Ohio State University (OSU) 55/55
standard. Still another benefit is its light weight; Ultem CAB sheet weighs
an average 1,350 gm/sq meter, and can be customized to meet a range of part
weight requirements.
Target applications for the new composite include sidewalls, cockpit panels,
ceiling panels, door liners and dividers.
For additional information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem composite
aerospace board sheets, please go to www.sabic-ip.com.
SABIC is Exhibiting at K’ 2010 in Düsseldorf, Germany in Hall 6,
Stand D42
For K’ 2010, SABIC’s focus is A Culture of Innovation, which means
investing in Growth, Technology, Sustainability and Customer Focus. We help
our customers to innovate, differentiate their applications and optimize costs
by:
- Investing in global expansion;
- Providing the broadest product portfolio that delivers better performance
and adds value;
- Developing environmentally responsible products and solutions that provide
significant and measurable performance advantages; and
- Working closely with our customers to build long-term, lasting relationships.