Peek aircraft components
Peek aircraft components
Keywords Aircraft,Polymers, Victrex
When Airbus Industrie, the consortium of European aircraft manufacturers, was looking to replace aluminium in a variety of components such as cable conduits, cable clips, and luggage rack retainers to save weight, its engineers chose PEEK polymer, a polyetheretherketone from Victrex USA in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
"Cost reduction and weight savings are essential requirements of the global aircraft industry", said Marianne Morgan, transportation market manager at Victrex. "By using PEEK polymer in place of aluminium, Airbus Industrie has been able to realize a 50 per cent reduction in part weight and a cost savings of up to 75 per cent." The PEEK polymer also exhibits excellent flame retardance, a key factor in aircraft-safety design.
After extensive testing,Victrex PEEK 450GL30, a 30 percent glass-filled composite grade, was chosen for the cable clips and extruded cable conduits. The selection was based on the material's excellent flame-retardance ratings, which include good self-extinguishing characteristics as well as low smoke and combustion by-product toxicity.
In addition, the material met requirements for good mechanical strength and resistance to hydraulic oils and kerosene. For star-shaped cable clips, a 20 percent glass-filled Victrex PEEK polymer was chosen for its balance of flexibility and stiffness, UL 94 V-O flammability listing, and good chemical resistance.
