Polymers as Aerospace Structural Components: How to Reach Sustainability?

Abstract

The aerospace industry has been benefiting from the utilization of polymer materials since fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPC) offers high performances at low densities compared to metals. In a way, FRPC innovated lightweight matter engineering and provided aviation as a public transport method. Since their first integration into structural parts, FRPC experiences an exponential growth over years and receives a special interest from manufacturing engineering. While FRPC today is a major focus in engineering, design of polymer matrix relies on polymer chemistry. However, aircraft materials are facing a pressing issue related to sustainability, since their environmental footprint is at alarming level. In this review, commercial thermosetting polymer composites employed in aircraft structures will be exhibited from chemistry perspective by depicting starting products and curing reactions. The potential of chemistry to architect next‐generation sustainable FRPC for structural parts by means of utilization of sustainable feedstock, energy‐efficient processing and recycling will be deciphered.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Thermo-rheological and kinetic characterization and modeling of an epoxy vitrimer based on polyimine exchange

“…eqn (9), therefore, assumes that the superimposed viscosity development of crosslinking and covalent bond exchange can solely be described as cure-dependence.…”

“…3,[6][7][8] For this, vitrimers exhibit the potential to replace traditional thermosetting materials in various fields to lead to sustainable materials manufacturing. 1 However, vitrimer research for immediate application use is in its infancy 9 and incipient stage. 4 Considering existing publications on vitrimers, a wide range focuses on synthesis and materials' properties on a laboratory scale, 4,[10][11][12] whereas only a minority addresses the material's processing in established FRP manufacturing processes.…”

Retrosynthetic Life Cycle Assessment: A Short Perspective on the Sustainability of Integrating Thermoplastics and Artificial Intelligence Into Composite Systems

“…[4] Thermosetting resins such as epoxy and cyanate esters are employed for this aim. [5] For thermoset composite formation, monomers are impregnated into fibres and cured to afford thermosetting composites since thermosets are not processable after curing. [6] It is important to mention that there are serious developments on vitrimer matrices (resins with dynamic reversible crosslinking behavior, some commercial vitrimeric hardeners such as Recyclamine and Vitrimax), however it currently takes no part in industrial systems.…”

Characterization and modeling of an epoxy vitrimer based on disulfide exchange for wet filament winding applications

“…[43][44][45] Vitrimer matrices can assist with recycling, repairing, and reprocessing composites. However, vitrimer research for immediate application use is in its infancy 46 and incipient stage. 47 Considering existing publications on vitrimers, a wide range focuses on synthesis and materials' properties on a laboratory scale, [48][49][50][51][52] whereas only a minority addresses the material's processing in established FRP manufacturing processes.…”