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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3 0 | H I G H - P E R F O R M A N C E C O M P O S I T E S J EC Europe 2014 (March 11-13, Paris, France) was, for the frst time, spread across two foors at the Paris Expo's Porte de Ver- sailles exhibition center, refect- ing again this year the dynamism, cre- ativity and ingenuity of the composites industry. (JEC is considering a third foor in 2015.) HPC was there and offers this glimpse of the materials and technology highlights. ( HPC samples new products from the show on pp. 71-75) The shape of things to come Clear from the frst day were several trends that show all the earmarks of transform- ing the way composites industry suppli- ers and parts fabricators approach their common goals in the future. Signifcant among them were the following: Snap-cure resins: A molding system is only as fast as its resin, and it was clear at JEC that materials suppliers are getting that message. Dow Automotive (Schwal- bach, Germany and Auburn Hills, Mich.) introduced VORAFORCE 5300, a low- viscosity epoxy for resin transfer molding (RTM) that offers a sub-90-second cycle time, and claimed that 60-second cy- cles are within reach. Henkel (Toulouse, France and Bay Point, Calif.), Momen- tive Specialty Chemicals (Columbus, N.Y.), Cytec Industries (Woodland Park, N.J.), Huntsman Advanced Materials (The Woodlands, Texas), Gurit (Isle of Wight, U.K.) and Bayer MaterialScience (Leve- kusen, Germany) were all on hand with thermosets in the same cycle-time range. Although most were developed with the auto industry's part-per-minute produc- tion standard in mind, aerocomposites manufacturers who are seeking to reduce cost and rely less on capital-intensive au- toclave processes are taking note. Carbon fber-reinforced thermoplas- tics: Fokker Aerostructures (Hoogeveen, the Netherlands) pioneered the use of glass fber-reinforced thermoplastics more than a decade ago with Airbus (Toulouse, France) on the wing lead- ing edges of its A330-340 and, later, A380 commer- cial jets. Now carbon fber- reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs)are fnding in- creased use in aerospace and automotive applica- tions. Fokker explored this new territory in the JEC Innovation Awards display, with a CFRTP fuselage panel demonstrator. Not an award winner, the panel is nonetheless unique, says Fokker's R&D; director Arnt Offringa, in its use of a carbon fber/PEEK prepreg provided by Cytec Aerospace Ma- terials (Tempe, Ariz.). The panel is laid up in a female tool, with the vertical string- ers placed frst and the skin placed on top via automated tape laying (ATL). The skin and stringers are cocured, after which the horizontal frames are induction welded (see close-up of stringer and frame inter- section). The SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany) and Toho Tenax (Wuppertal, Germany and Rockwood, Tenn.) each introduced a new carbon fber sizing optimized for thermoplastic resins. Toho Tenax VP of sales Greg Olson said the sizing is formu- lated for use with polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in aerocomposites, but he added that the company also is looking at oil and gas and medical applications. Victrex plc (Cleveleys, Lancashire, U.K.) reported success in the commercial air- craft market since Airbus qualifed VIC- TREX PEEK 90HMF40. Reinforced with high-modulus carbon fber, the polyaryle- therketone polymer is reportedly an eas- ily processed, high-fow material that results in parts with 100x longer fatigue life and up to 20 percent greater specifc strength and stiffness than to aluminum 7075-T6 under the same conditions. Bristol, R.I.-based Tri-Mack Plastics Mfg. Co. used the material to produce brackets for structural aircraft compo- nents that — using thermoset compos- ites — take several hours to produce. Tri- JEC EUROPE 2014 REVIEW SHOW COVERAGE The composites world met again in Paris — vibrant, stronger, and more forward-looking than ever before. Biggest and busiest yet JEC claimed 32,000 attendees toured two halls that housed a record 1,200 exhibitors. Thermoplastic fuselage panel Fokker Aerostructures exhibited the latest iteration of this fuselage panel demonstrator made with carbon fiber/PEEK prepreg. It is layed up in a female tool, with the vertical stringers placed first and the skin placed on top via automated tape laying (ATL). The skin and stringers are cocured, after which the horizontal frames are induction welded (see inset image of stringer and frame intersection). 0514HPC JEC EuropeReview-OK.indd 30 4/22/2014 3:02:40 PM