High-Performance Composites

MAR 2013

High-Performance Composites is read by qualified composites industry professionals in the fields of continuous carbon fiber and other high-performance composites as well as the associated end-markets of aerospace, military, and automotive.

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Market outlook A350 take-off should lift market to unprecedented altitude source: airbus the airbus a350 XWB is nearing reality. its first test flight aircraft and static test aircraft are in the assembly stage. Like the Boeing 787, the a350 XWB uses carbon fiber in the wings, wing box, flight-control surfaces, empennage and fuselage. no longer the largest market for carbon fiber (that title now goes to wind energy), aerospace is still considered the most important. analysts at the conference forecast continued growth in a robust aerospace market. intricate problems love direct solutions Intricate problems of an aerospace project can be met with direct solutions and innovations from BASF. At BASF - The Chemical Company, our vast experience and the solid research and development foundation result in cutting-edge technologies for: Cabin Interiors Structural Materials n Seating Components n Fuel and Lubricant Solutions n Coatings and Specialty Pigments n Flame Retardants and Fire Protection n Other Aerospace Innovations n n At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Get the free mobile app for your phone http://gettag.mobi www.aerospace.basf.com 50 | high-performance composites advances on the oxidization and carbonization side, expect a polyolefin-based PAN and carbon fiber price potential of $10.50/kg — below the $11/kg threshold. "None of these innovations, taken alone, can reduce the cost enough," Kozarsky warned. "It must be a combination of technology and innovation." Further, a new precursor might change the chemistry of the resulting fiber. "Maintaining compatibility between the carbon fiber and the resin matrix will be critical." The carbon fiber manufacturing industry is already segregating itself by end market, with standard- and intermediate-modulus fiber designated for industrial markets and high-modulus fiber designated for aerospace markets. The development of a non-PAN precursor would insert itself into this split and become associated, by virtue of chemistry and function, with carbon fiber in industrial market applications. Markets, applications, opportunities The commercial aerospace market remains the most critical and highest profile application of high-modulus carbon fiber. With the Boeing 787 on the market and the Airbus A350 XWB in assembly and undergoing preparations for flight testing, it appears that the carbon fiber supply chain is headed into a period of stability. However, aerospace development outside the Boeing/Airbus spotlight, and possible new Boeing/Airbus projects, signal a dynamic marketplace. Commercial aircraft orders are on the rebound, Red noted, after they peaked in 2007 at 3,487 and bottomed out at 663 during the recession in 2009. Boeing and Airbus reported strong sales in 2012 (Boeing had 1,203 orders; Airbus had 914) and healthy backlogs through 2018. Red estimates that commercial composite aerostructures were about 9.4 million lb (4,264 metric tonnes) in 2011 and 10.4 million lb (4,717 metric tonnes) in 2012. Of this, carbon fiber composites accounted for about 85 percent. About 35 percent of composite aerostructures are manufactured using automation, Red estimates. That number is expected to increase to 83 percent by 2020. Beyond the 787 and A350, notable composite aerostructures in the works include the wing, empennage and flightcontrol surfaces on single-aisle commercial aircraft: the Bombardier CSeries, the Irkut MS-21 and the COMAC C919. On

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