Hexcel And Arkema Join Forces In Thermoplastic Composite Solutions For Aerospace

Hexcel and Arkema have signed a strategic alliance to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector combining the expertise of Hexcel in carbon fiber and that of Arkema in PEKK.

The partnership announced today aims to develop carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes to produce lightweight parts for future generations of aircraft. In addition to lightweighting, these new composites will provide lower cost and faster production speeds for customers in the aerospace and the space and defense sectors.

As part of this partnership, a joint research and development laboratory, located in France, will be established.

We’re excited to join this collaboration with Arkema to continue exploring and defining the future of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics in the aerospace industry. With this opportunity and our recent acquisition of the aerospace and defense business of Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), Hexcel is quickly becoming an industry leader in advanced composite thermoplastic technologies."