Moscow scientists have created a recyclable composite for aircraft construction

The development by Russian engineers will reduce the climate impact of the industry.

Photo: NUST MISIS

Scientists of Moscow Technological University MISIS have created a technology for producing a composite material made of carbon fibres on a polymer base. It is expected that the composite material will be used in the production of aircrafts. In contrast to the existing analogues, the novelty is easily recyclable, the university’s press service reports.

As it was specified in the university the composite is built on the basis of superconstructive thermoplastic polymers and carbon fiber that keeps its properties at contact with aggressive substances, such as aviation paraffin.

The majority of carbon fibre composites are based on epoxy resin and other insoluble materials, that is why they cannot be utilized. But the university’s new development is devoid of this disadvantage.

The engineers used Russian-made carbon fibre as reinforcing material and for the first time the epoxy resin was replaced with polyethersulfone powder — a high-strength and heat-resistant polymer.

According to the specialists’ words, the ready composite can replace import analogues and be used for creation of power elements and aircraft hull structures.

During experiments, scientists selected the optimum conditions for making the material. They found out that carbon fibres should account for 60-70% of the total mass of the structure for use in aircraft construction.

The use of modified carbon fibre made it possible to achieve a stable structure of the resulting composite, and to significantly improve its mechanical properties and resistance to high temperatures.

As noted by the authors of the study, the proposed technology for creating composites based on polyethersulfone and carbon fibers makes it possible to regulate the properties of the final material depending on the degree of filling the polymer matrix with fibers.

“When talking about the possibilities of application of the material, one has to look at the specific product in which they will be used, as each has its own conditions of work in the structure, requirements for strength, maximum allowable deformations.

Accordingly, the reinforcement scheme changes and the degree of filling (fiber content) will also be different. But if we speak, for example, about the materials for the aircraft construction, the optimal content of the carbon fibers will be rather in the range of 60-70% from the total mass of the construction,” — the Agency quotes the words of one of the authors of the project, the senior research assistant of the centre of composite materials of MISiS Andrei Stepashkin.

Cover photo: AVZimovskoy / iStock