The company has been awarded a £100,000 grant with the objective of developing novel materials that can replace metals in jet engines.
Nexam Chemical St Andrews has, together with partners from the whole value chain, been selected as a key partner in the project, dubbed “Advanced Thermoformable Cross-linking Resin Unidirectional Tapes”, which consists of a consortium of commercial players within composites and aerospace, in partnership with the University of Sheffield.
The project’s main objective is to drive replacement of metals like titanium and other alloys with novel high temperature resistant composites in jet engines, leading to lighter components and resulting fuel savings. The technology is intended for primarily civil aviation applications, where the largest commercial potential lies. The project is a part of Innovate UK, which strives to strengthen local UK aerospace sector, and supports local OEMs, such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and GKN.
“Nexam Chemical already has a solid footprint within high temperature composites in the US, primarily aimed at military applications. We are therefore pleased to be selected to take part in this project, which can contribute to driving the development towards more high temperature composites in the UK and especially within civilian aviation,” said Ronnie Törnqvist, CEO of Nexam Chemical.
