Responding to aviation’s growing demand for plastic and multi-functional parts, Solvay (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvay.com) has launched “Tegralite”, a range of high-performance thermoplastics that offers new solutions and part-making capabilities for the aerospace industry. Solvay said part-, system- and aircraft makers as well as the airlines will benefit from Tegralite, which will enable more part commonality and ultimately roll out planes faster as more people travel. In addition, the range meets the industry’s drive to lower costs and also increase efficiency.

Augusto Di Donfrancesco, president of Solvay’s speciality polymers global business unit, said: “Tegralite’s package of integrated solutions intends to address the order back log in commercial aviation which has been growing by 70% in the past four years. This new avenue of growth addresses the rising need to substitute metal or heavier plastic parts with multi-functional thermoplastic materials able to resist shock, impact, high temperature, fire, chemicals and noise.”

Tegralite materials integrate a broad range of polymer products from Solvay with complementary materials from its specialist partners, 3A Composites, Aonix and JSP. A new generation of aerospace foams is available for the first time and in large quantities from Solvay’s alliance with 3A Composites. The partnership with JSP opens up fast and easy access to 3D foam parts, a technology already widely used in the automotive sector. With Aonix, Solvay is accelerating the development of high- and ultra-performing prepeg systems as well as new sandwich materials and structures.

Earlier this month, Solvay announced it would pay USD 5.5 bn (EUR 5 bn) to buy US composites maker Cytec Industries (Woodland Park, New Jersey; www.cytec.com), a deal which would make it the world’s second largest player in aerospace composite materials – see Plasteurope.com of 04.08.2015.