Stamford, Conn.-based Hexcel has partnered with France-based start-up company Lavoisier Composites, the developer of Carbonium® material. This new-generation material is sourced from carbon composite by-products generated by the French aerospace sector.
According to the companies, Carbonium reduces the environmental impact by 40 to 50 percent overall when compared to equivalent products made using virgin materials. A life cycle assessment conducted by Lavoisier and Hexcel showed that up-cycling by-products from the aerospace composites industry results in a carbon dioxide reduction of 13 kilograms per kilogram of Carbonium utilized.
In other company news, Hexcel and Arkema have announced plans to open a joint research and development laboratory to develop carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes for lightweight aircraft parts production. The two companies formed an alliance last year to leverage Hexcel’s carbon fiber knowledge and Arkema’s strength in polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) to create thermoplastic composite solutions for aerospace applications.
March/April 2019
