Lighter materials for transportation
Shaving a few kilograms off a vehicle’s weight saves electricity or fuel, which means a smaller carbon footprint. As CO2 emissions standards become increasingly stringent, finding ways to reduce weight is crucial in the race to green mobility currently playing out in the automotive and aeronautics industries. Backed by its unique expertise in high-performance polymers, Arkema has made lighter materials a key strategic focus of its innovation. From the airframes of commercial airliners to batteries for electric vehicles, composites made from the Group’s materials can be used in a wide variety of applications and can easily replace metal parts without compromising performance, safety or durability.
Kepstan® PEKK: The wings of the future
There is a clear trend in the aeronautics industry to replace metal parts with thermoplastic composites. Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), a lightweight material that offers extraordinary rigidity, mechanical and thermal resistance (up to 260°C in continuous use), is supporting this transition. Arkema is the world’s leading supplier of PEKK, which it sells under the Kepstan® brand. Composite tapes combining Kepstan® PEKK and high-performance carbon fibers are 40% lighter than aluminum. They allow more efficient production of structural aircraft parts such as longitudinal struts and circular frames. In addition, they are increasingly used as an alternative to thermoset composites for aircraft skin owing to their shorter and more efficient production cycle. What’s more, Kepstan® PEKK is particularly well suited for 3D printing (see pp. 28-29), used by aircraft manufacturers to make parts with very complex shapes.
Elium® composites: lightweight AND recyclable for battery packs
In electric vehicles, much of the focus on weight reduction is on the battery, which accounts for a substantial portion of vehicle mass (often a quarter to a third in pure electrics). In this fast-growing market, Elium® liquid resin offers an attractive alternative to metal for battery protection packs. Elium® fiberglass composites are 10-15% lighter than steel. They are also better suited than thermoset composites to the automotive industry’s fastest manufacturing processes, thanks to the thermoplastic resin’s short cure time. Plus, Elium® composites have the major advantage of being recyclable – a key differentiating criterion for today’s manufacturers.
