Technifab's New Aerospace Ducting System Features End Caps and Anchors Made of Solvay's AvaSpire® PAEK


Ultra-High Performance Polymer Delivers Greater Toughness and Cost Benefits for Structural Components



ALPHARETTA, Ga.  – Technifab Inc., Avon, Ohio, a leading solutions provider to the aerospace industry, has developed a new high-performance polymeric foam ducting system that features structural components made of AvaSpire® polyaryletherketone (PAEK) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers. The new ducting system is a key element of a newly developed aerospace Environmental Control System (ECS) for a major aircraft manufacturer. Solvay made the announcement this week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIE), Booth 7A29, in Hamburg, Germany.



AvaSpire® PAEK provides greater toughness and reduced cost compared to standard polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for interior aerospace applications such as the structural end caps and anchors used in this design. The ultra-high performance polymer also offers greater strength, better creep resistance, and improved hydrolytic stability compared to nylon and other competitive engineering thermoplastics that were also considered, according to Jack DeRuyter, vice president of business development for Technifab. The unfilled AvaSpire® PAEK grade also meets the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flammability, Smoke Density, and Toxic Gas Emission (FST) requirements.



The injection molded end caps made of AvaSpire® PAEK serve as part of a rigid connector system for the ducting. The 0.25 cm (0.10 in) thick end caps, which range in diameter from 5.1 to 15.2 cm (2 to 6-in), are attached to the ducting with an epoxy-based adhesive. AvaSpire® PAEK is also used to injection mold the anchors that serve as mounting brackets for the ducting. They have the same dimensions as the end caps and are also attached to the ducting with an adhesive.



Technifab's new ducting system is being installed on current airframes produced by major aircraft manufacturers.



AvaSpire® PAEK is a family of customizable high-performance polyketones tailored to fill cost and performance gaps between PEEK and other high-performance polymers. These materials are part of Solvay's Spire® Ultra Polymers portfolio, which includes KetaSpire® PEEK.



About Technifab Inc.



Technifab Inc., based in Avon, Ohio, is a rapidly growing product and system solutions provider for major aircraft manufacturers. The company utilizes a lightweight, flame retardant foam material that is changing the way engineers think about product design. Through the utilization of various converting, fabrication, molding, and assembly processes, Technifab engineers respond to customer design initiatives to reduce weight in aircraft with innovative product solutions. Technifab currently provides engineered product solutions to many of the major airframe manufacturers in the world. These products are used to insulate cooling system piping, seal between the sidewall and structural windows, and are replacing heavier components of environmental control systems (i.e., ducting, sleeves, air supply components, plenums, and nozzles). For more information, visit www.technifabinc.com.



About Solvay Specialty Polymers



Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, sulfone polymers, semi-aromatic polyamides, ultra-high performance aromatic polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linkable high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil and Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire and Cable, and other industries. Learn more at www.solvay.com.



Solvay (www.solvay.com) is an international chemical Group committed to sustainable development with a clear focus on innovation and operational excellence. It is realizing over 90% of its sales in markets where it is among the top 3 global leaders. Solvay offers a broad range of products that contribute to improving quality of life and the performance of its customers in markets such as consumer goods, construction, automotive, energy, water and environment, and electronics. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and its companies, which employ about 29,400 people in 55 countries, generated EUR 9.9 billion in net sales in 2013 (pro forma). Solvay SA is listed as SOLB.BE on NYSE Euronext (www.euronext.com) in Brussels and Paris. Bloomberg (www.bloomberg.com) = SOLB.BB. Reuters (www.reuters.com) = SOLB.BR.



Press Contact:

Joseph Grande

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