Materials
GE Aviation, Batesville, MS, US
With a supply chain busy making commercial jet engines like the GE90, GEnx, LEAP and GE9X, GE Aviation has invested heavily in its composites capabilities in Batesville.
Read More
“Smart tooling” cuts time and risk for complex unitized composite structures production
One-piece bladder tooling helps to actualize NASA/Boeing’s revolutionary fluted core design for next-gen cryogenic fuel tank skirt.
Read More
Northwestern University researchers develop a hybrid polymer
The university believes this could lead to new concepts in self-repairing materials, drug delivery and artificial muscles.
Read More
February supplement: Out-of-autoclave processing for aero use
We here at CW put together a supplement published with the February issue of the regular magazine that focuses on the technologies, tools and materials being used today in out-of-autoclave (OOA) processing for aerocomposites.
Read More
Graphene composite could help keep wings ice-free
A thin coating of graphene nanoribbons in epoxy developed at Rice University has proven effective at melting ice on a helicopter blade.
Read More
Boat propellers with replaceable, interchangeable blades
Long glass fiber-reinforced polyamide makes this modular propeller tough enough for a challenging application, eliminating costly prop repair.
Read More
Alternative precursor R&D: What are the alternatives to PAN?
Carbon fibers made from other precursors are in use, commercially, and many more precursor alternatives have been investigated.
Read More
Alternative precursor R&D: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, US) has been at the forefront of North American research into alternatives to the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor used to make aerospace-grade carbon fiber.
Read More
Alternative precursor R&D: Lignin in the lightweighting limelight
This abundant, renewable resource shows promise as an alternative to PAN for low-cost, functional carbon fibers.
Read More
Recycled carbon fiber proves its potential for aircraft interiors
An Airbus-led team characterizes RCF veils and shows their ability to best glass fiber composite sidewalls in cost, weight and surface finish.
Read More