High temperature, affordable polymer composites for AM aerospace applications

高性能可模塑塑料，如PEEK/PEK和其他聚芳醚酮(PAEK)，以及它们的工程复合材料是未来的材料，作为金属替代品尤其引起机身制造商的兴趣，比钢、钛或铝轻40%-70%。PAEK复合材料还具有极高的耐腐蚀性，耐250℃+高温，不燃烧，可机械竞争。PAEK聚合物和复合材料的添加剂制造(AM)现在是可能的，如果这一生产路线能够成熟和完善，AM PAEK将在未来的飞机上得到更广泛的开发。类似于金属AM，它现在是机身设计和制造中公认的不可或缺的工具，PAEK的使用将会增加。这一目标是为了解决阻碍AM-PAEK开发的公认的技术障碍，从而使该工艺可靠、具有成本竞争力和通用制造路线，可在整个飞机结构供应链中使用。这一举措汇集了整个材料和加工供应链，包括聚合物制造商/供应商，一直到零部件制造商和后加工者以及最终用户。

High performance mouldable plastics like PEEK/PEK and others in the polyaryletherketone family (PAEK), and their engineered composites are materials of the future and of particular interested to airframe makers as a metal replacement, being 40 -70% lighter than steel, titanium or aluminum. PAEK composites are also highly corrosion resistant, heat tolerant to 250oC+, don’t burn, and can compete mechanically. Additive Manufacture (AM) of PAEK polymers and composites is now possible, where if this production route could be matured and perfected, AM PAEK would be exploited far more extensively in future aircraft. Similarly to metals AM, which is now an established and indispensable tool in airframe design and manufacture, the usage of PAEKs would grow. This aim is to solve the well identified technical barriers hindering AM-PAEKs exploitation, and thereby make the process, reliable, cost competitive and a common-place fabrication route, available throughout the aerostructures supply chain. This initiative brings together the entire materials & processing supply chain, including polymer makers/suppliers through to parts manufacturers and post-processors as well as end-users.