Adhesive experts from Huntsman Advanced Materials’ aerospace research and development team are delighted to have won the prestigious JEC Composites Innovation Award in the Aeronautics and Space Category for 2006.
Working with engineers from Rolls-Royce and the Universities of Sheffield, the Huntsman team of Araldite® experts developed a unique epoxy-based syntactic for Rolls-Royce’s Trent 900® – the lead engine for the new super jumbo jet.
The team created a lightweight adhesive solution for injection into the hollow vanes of gas turbine engines on commercial aircraft. Until now, honeycomb or line-core materials had been used to fill in and maintain the cross-sectional profile as the blades flex. The syntactic is designed to absorb vibrational energy over a wide operational temperature range and provide improved foreign object damage tolerance. Outlet guide vanes are made of titanium and ensure that air is directed through an engine via the optimum path. There are 52 outlet guide vanes on each Trent 900® engine each of which holds approximately 0.5 litres of Araldite’s® 1641 syntactic to reduce vibration while providing extra robustness.
Philippe Michaud, global marketing director at Huntsman Advanced Materials said, “Araldite® adhesives have always played an important part in innovation in the aerospace sector. Working with Rolls-Royce engineers on the development of new technologies and the very latest engine designs reflects Huntsman’s expertise and the performance capabilities of our product range. Next generation engines will gain from this innovation.”
Huntsman Advanced Materials is a leading global producer of advanced epoxy resins, adhesives, coating systems, electrical insulating materials, printed circuit board technology, tooling materials and structural composites. The business services end-use markets that include the aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, electrical and electronics, recreation, and appliance industries.