AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
A decarbonised aerospace industry for the future.
The importance of fluoropolymers for the sector
Europe is a major player in the aviation manufacturing market and a major source of global exports with numerous specialised and highly skilled civil and military aerospace activities across Member States.
Fluoropolymers are crucial for the European aerospace industry as their unique properties make the aircrafts safer and more fuel-efficient while enabling innovation across the sector. By providing durable and effective protection against heat, aggressive fluids and fuels, humidity, vibrations and compressions, they prolong the useful life of various components critical for performance, emission control, and safety to the aerospace industry.
Unique properties of fluoropolymers and their benefits for the sector
The unique properties of fluoropolymers make them crucial to many applications in the aerospace sector. These include fuselage design and assembly/testing, wing design and manufacturing, engine manufacturing, landing gear, fuel systems, helicopters, carbon fibre reinforced plastic components, internal data and power supply systems.
Their durability, high resistance and non-stick and non-wetting properties provide a number of benefits including:
Enhanced reliability
Enhanced safety
Durable an effective protection against heat, UV, aggressive fuels, humidity, vibrations, and compression
Weight reduction
Fluoropolymers and the future of the industry
The following two applications are examples of innovation in the aerospace industry that rely on engineered fluoropolymers.
- Release film aircraft: With its heat resistance, chemical resistance, optical transparency, and non-adhesiveness, release film is used in various aircraft applications (e.g. composite noise panels).
- In-flight connectivity (Electronics): Recent developments enable improved communication and internet access in aircrafts with excellent telecommunications and positioning signals without increasing the size/weight of hardware required. This is achieved with cable-based antennas constructed with engineered fluoropolymers and light coaxial cables. Given the reduction in hardware capital costs, it is a cost-effective solution for improving in-flight entertainment.
Applications
- Fuel lines and hoses
- Hydraulic systems
- O-rings, gaskets
- Electronic systems
- Coating for a variety of purposes (cables, wires, etc.)
- Tapes, wires and cables
- Satellites: Fluoropolymers can be used as a fuel for satellite propulsion systems (solid fuel instead of liquid fuel)
- Exterior surface coatings