NCAMP qualifies Victrex LMPAEK thermoplastic material system

Victrex (Lancashire, U.K.) has announced the approval of a new unidirectional tape (UDT), Victrex AE 250-AS4, by the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) for use in aerospace programs. The combination of the industry standard HexTow carbon fiber supplied by Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) and the novel thermoplastic resin system from Victrex can be incorporated into the manufacture of composite materials that may reduce energy use, decrease aircraft weight and improve aircraft durability.

NCAMP works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry partners to qualify material systems and populate publicly available databases. These NCAMP databases accelerate production and reduce the costs related to a typical qualification of composite material systems by aircraft manufacturers. By having an NCAMP-qualified system, suppliers can bring materials to market faster on a larger scale and help their end-users reach FAA certification sooner than the typical certification process. This is especially important for thermoplastic composites, as their adoption in the aerospace industry continues to rise.

“Having an allowables database is critical for entry onto certified aircraft,” Claire Steggall-Murphy, strategic technology manager, Victrex, says. “It is the basis for structural substantiation and a minimum requirement to supply to customers who want to design and build parts with our materials.”

Victrex engaged in a process spanning more than two years to successfully qualify Victrex AE 250-AS4 UDT to the NCAMP allowables database, with the aid of Hexcel, which has a record of qualifying composite materials solutions through NCAMP. Now, the newly available allowables database enables aircraft designers to easily adopt a new composite system solution.

“Hexcel’s unsized carbon fiber is the industry-preferred carbon fiber for use in high-performance thermoplastic composites,” Lyndon Smith, vice president, fibers, Hexcel, contends. “We are pleased to have been selected and congratulate Victrex on receiving this approval.”

Victrex is the inventor and manufacturer of low-melt polyaryletherletone (LMPAEK) thermoplastic polymer. Victrex AE 250-AS4 UDT high-performance thermoplastic carbon fiber composite prepreg tape has a 40°C lower melting temperature compared to standard Victrex PEEK. The mechanical, physical and chemical-resistant properties available to the PAEK polymer family are said to make an optimal combination of performance and processability for aerospace applications. The low melting temperatures of the Victrex AE 250-AS4 polymer and the flow characteristics also enhance automated fiber placement (AFP) processability.

Additional characteristics include:

• Excellent toughness and fatigue performance
• Fire smoke and toxicity (FST) performance that meets recognized industry standards
• Low moisture absorption
• The ability to operate at or above glass transition temperature (T_g)
• Ideal for use in overmolded parts
• Exceptional resistance to chemicals and solvents
• Surface polymer flow to facilitate layup welding
• Excellent slitting characteristics
• Consistent thickness and width tolerance metrics
• Long lengths without splices (>1,000 meters)
• Room temperature storage, no freezer required.