The world leaders in thermoplastic honeycomb core technology, EconCore, Toray Advanced Composites and Bostik, are celebrating the development of thermoplastic honeycomb sandwich panels, which are used for mass transportation, including aircraft interiors.
By using TorayCetex® reinforced thermoplastic laminate as the outer shell, EconCore's thermoplastic honeycomb core (a FST certified thermoplastic chemical material) and Bostik's flame-retardant thermoplastic polyester web adhesive, these partners have seen this new material pass The fire protection, smoke exhaust and toxicity regulations applicable to the interior of the aircraft are introduced. It is optimized for security.
Together, these three companies provide a more sustainable solution for manufacturing expensive and labor-intensive parts compared to traditional sandwich panels currently used in aerospace (such as phenolic prepreg shells and phenolic-impregnated aramid honeycomb cores). Program.
Sandwich structure parts made of thermosetting materials require lengthy and expensive processing. Processing including the curing process may take several hours, and by using EconCore's continuous process and compression molding, the new thermoplastic technology may take about 60 seconds to form the desired shape.
Traditional thermoset materials are not recyclable, so thermoplastic honeycomb parts not only take less time to manufacture, but also thermoplastic solutions are more sustainable so far. EconCore's thermoplastic honeycomb shell can easily be recycled, shredded and reused in composite materials.
Tomasz Czarnecki, chief operating officer of EconCore, said: "We are very excited about this cooperation, especially because we have been able to develop a sustainable technology that is recyclable. Moreover, this technology is in addition to the already widely used automotive and transportation applications. In addition, it is also recyclable. The potential can be used in various markets such as railways, aviation or shipbuilding. With the help of FST thermoplastic honeycomb technology, we hope to save costs from two aspects; one is the continuous production of honeycomb cores and panels; the other is It is in the quick, easy and clean conversion of sandwich panels into lightweight sandwich parts."
Although the thermoplastic honeycomb core and shell are often welded to each other in EconCore's technology, the use of Bostik's adhesive can reduce the lamination temperature and simplify the process.
Traditional phenolic resins usually used for curing have been replaced by flame-retardant mesh adhesives, which can meet the requirements of fire, smoke and poison. Flame-retardant polyester fiber web adhesives provide a unique application method, which provides new possibilities for the production of lightweight materials.
Other benefits include a clean bonding process suitable for lightweight materials. In terms of the types of thermoplastic materials used, EconCore technology has many uses. EconCore has applied a variety of polymers with FST properties in various development programs, not only PC-FST or PEI, but the flexibility of material selection allows products to be optimized for specific applications. It is not only related to performance, but also related to cost.
Talitha Van Drom, Bostik Business Development Manager, said: “It`s great to see that the use of Bostik flame-retardant web adhesives can help reduce the complexity of the adhesive coating process and provide a clean, repeatable assembly method while bringing additional Value, for example as a flame retardant for lightweight boards."
By using Toray's reinforced thermoplastic composite laminate as the outer shell, it can make the material easily shaped without the rigorous process of covering it in a phenolic resin, solidifying, and then manually forming it.
Frank Ten Napel, Toray`s Aircraft Interiors and High Performance Industrial Division Manager, said: “This application demonstrates the versatility of thermoplastic composite technology and the efficiency it can bring to processing technologies throughout the value chain.”