TenCate plans to showcase its developments in composite material technologies for aerospace and industrial markets during JEC World 2018.
This includes its TenCate Cetex thermoplastic-based composite material technologies which can reportedlt support all stages of the composite manufacturing process, from engineering design to end of life recycling.
Projects at TenCate include the development of a recycled flow layer concept that integrates recycled thermoplastic composite materials back into the supply chain. Combining the design freedom of BMCs with the mechanical properties of reinforced thermoplastic laminates, the flow layer concept utilizes excess material derived at both component point of manufacture and end of life, achieving a near 100% buy-to-fly ratio, the company says.
TenCate Cetex thermoplastic composites have also been further optimized for Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) processing methods. TenCate Cetex TC1320 PEKK unidirectional tapes have been used in the latest development from the TAPAS 2 (thermoplastic affordable primary aircraft structures) project, a thermoplastic upper spar for an aircraft engine pylon.
TenCate AmberTool HX series of composite tooling prepregs will also be highlighted in the display of a novel cure capable AFP mandrel technology demonstrator. Developed as part of a recent NATEP project, designed by Composites Tooling & Engineering Solutions and built by Retrac Composites, the technology demonstrator is made from AmberTool HX42 due to its low CTE properties and high degree of machinability to achieve a highly accurate tool.
TenCate Advanced Composites’ Global Director Product and Market Strategy, Dr John Darlington, is presenting a white paper on the compound benefits of a hybrid composite, spanning thermoset and thermoplastic technologies, for aerospace applications on day two of the event.
This story is reprinted from material from TenCate, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
