Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) announced on Oct. 9 that it has qualified its carbon fiber-based materials Tenax ThermoPlastic Woven Fabric (TPWF) and Tenax ThermoPlastic Consolidated Laminate (TPCL) by Collins Aerospace (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.), a unit of Raytheon Technologi

As OEMs and suppliers explore the materials and processes that will enable the next generation of aircraft, two different approaches are being demonstrated. The first is liquid molding of dry fiber preforms seen, for example, in Spirit AeroSystem’s (Prestwick, Scotland) high-rate resin t

Photo Credit: Panacol-Elosol GmbH Available through distributor of silicones and adhesive solutions Techsil (Warwickshire, U.K.), Panacol-Elosol GmbH (Steinbach, Germany) offers the Vitralit UD 1405 adhesive and curing system for fiber and filament winding processes, which is said to

Materials that enable high-performance structures at service temperatures above 500°F/230°C are limited. The options are basically metals such as titanium and alloys like Inconel, polyimides (PI) or ceramic matrix composites (CMC). All of these are significantly more costly than conven

Photo Credit: AOC It was announced on Oct. 16 that AOC (Schaffhausen, Netherlands) Kaprain (Prague, Czech Republic) and Spolchemie, have reached an agreement on AOC acquiring the unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) manufacturing operations located at the Spolchemie site in Ústí nad

Photo Credit: Victrex It was reported on Oct. 20 that Victrex (Thornton Cleveleys, U.K.) has collaborated with the French aircraft manufacturer and equipment supplier Daher (Wissous, France) to produce a 176-ply laminate structural aircraft panel, with a thickness of 32 millimeters (1

Hydrogen as a CO2-free alternative to fossil fuels has been on the horizon for decades, and growth in carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) pressure vessels for hydrogen storage has definitely been on the rise. But in 2020, hydrogen became a mandate, identified by the European Commission (EC)

Photo Credit: Getty Images Manufacturer of thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) Airborne Oil & Gas (IJmuiden, Netherlands), has changed its name to Strohm on Oct. 8. The launch of the new brand comes as the organization confirms its commitment to the oil and gas sector’s energy tra

Photo Credit: Hexcel Hexcel Corp. (Stamford, Conn., U.S.), the world’s second-largest manufacturer of carbon fiber and a major supplier of prepregs, core materials, resins and other materials, reported third quarter 2020 results on Oct. 19, including net sales of $286.9 millio

Photo Credit: Norplex-Micarta Norplex-Micarta (Postville, Iowa, U.S.) announced on Sept. 21 that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Solvay Speciality Polymers (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) to acquire the product line designated as CYPLY. The acquisition will enable Norplex-Mica

FRAMES: A new research project focused on thermoplastic manufacturing solutions for complex geometries. A consortium of European companies initiated by ESTIA-Compositadour (Bayonne, France) is joining forces to develop advanced knowledge and manufacturing solutions for a full-scale t

There’s a new word to add to your composites lexicon, and it’s going to merit attention: Vitrimers. First discovered and named in 2011 by French researcher Ludwik Leibler, vitrimers are a class of plastics derived from thermosetting polymers that consist of molecular, covalent netw

Photo Credit: Arkema It was recently reported by Arkema (Colombes, France) that on Sept. 22 the ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) consortium was launched, a project aiming to create the first 100% recyclable wind turbine. Arkema says it is at the heart of this consortium — alongside Canoe

The Museum of the Future currently being constructed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is one of the most complex structures ever built. The 78-meter high building houses seven floors within a torus-shaped shell that sits atop a three-story podium. The exterior facade of the torus compris

Photo Credit: Ensinger The Ensinger Group (Nufringen, Germany) engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of compounds, semi-finished materials, composites, technical parts and profiles, announced on Oct. 1 that the commissioning of its new facility in Bavaria, Germany, for the prod

Anta Sports Products Ltd. (Xiamen, China), a global sportswear company, has recently launched KT6, the latest generation of the signature sneaker of NBA all-star Klay Thompson. Available for sale in China and some Southeast Asian countries, the basketball shoe features a variety of

Photo Credit: Moi Composites Moi Composites Srl. (Moi; Milan, Italy) revealed on Sept. 28 its MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat) project, a 3D-printed boat using a continuous glass fiber thermoset composites. The boat was officially launched and displayed at the 2020

Asio drone by Flybotix. Photo Credit: Flybotix Solvay Composite Materials (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) recently reported that it has contributed to Asio, Flybotix’s (Lausanne, Switzerland) new indoor inspection drone for industrial assets. Asio is said to provide

Founded in 1986, Electroimpact (Mukilteo, Wash., U.S.) is a global tooling and production automation supplier that claims to be the world’s largest integrator of aircraft assembly lines. In composites, the company is known for its advanced technology in high-speed automated tape laying (

Our guest on episode 34 of CW Talks: The Composites Podcast is Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay Composite Materials (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.). Carmelo was born and bred in Italy and has spent most of his career with Cytec and then Solvay when Solvay acquired the company in 2015. He has