The global CFC market for the aerospace industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2018 to 2023.
Materials have always been an intricate part of any industry, such as construction, marine, and transportation, among others, for more than 100 years. The basic materials used in automotive industry, aerospace & defense industry, wind power industry, and construction industry during the industrial revolution place from the 18th century to 19th century included wood, cast iron, stone, copper, and brick. However, owing to the properties such as low resistance to corrosion, high resistance to heat & extreme temperatures, weak weatherability, and significant maintenance costs, these materials are not preferred which subsequently led to the demand of lightweight materials. The lightweight materials have developed significantly over the past decade, and much has been attributed to the extensive technological advancement in this field. These materials are widely adopted in the developed regions, such as North America and Europe, and are also gaining popularity in the regions such as the Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America.
The rapidly growing Continuous Fiber Composites(CFC) market is being driven by a number of potential applications found in the end use industries such as automotive, aerospace & defense, wind energy, construction, sporting goods, and electrical & electronics, among others. Continuous fiber composites are fiber-reinforced polymer composites in which the fiber length is of magnitude larger than the width or the thickness of the composite part. Continuous fiber composites can be thermosetting or thermoplastic depending on the type of resin used. These composites are light in weight and possess the same strength as that of steel. Additionally, they have high fatigue resistance, stiffness retention under repeated loading, and resistance to creep.
Continuous Fiber Composites (CFC) are segregated based on fiber type, namely glass fiber, carbon fiber, and others. Each of the fiber types is further segregated based on their form structure. Composites can be woven fabrics, non-crimp fabrics, unidirectional fiber tapes, and non-woven mats based on their form structure. They offer various unique properties, such as resistance to corrosion, excessive heat, and extreme temperature, while having high electrical and thermal conductivities, low density, high ductility & strength, lighter weight, increased fuel economy, reduction in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and longer service life thereby, reducing the cost of maintenance.
The never-ending need for the aerospace industry to enhance the performance of commercial and military aircraft is constantly driving the development of improved high-performance structural materials. Composite materials are one such class of materials that play a significant role in current and future aerospace components. Composite materials are particularly attractive to aviation and aerospace applications because of their exceptional strength, stiffness-to-density ratios, and superior physical properties.
The composite materials widely used in the aerospace industry are carbon- and glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP and GFRP, respectively) which consist of carbon and glass fibers, both of which are stiff and strong in terms of their density.
The global CFC market for the aerospace industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2018 to 2023.
The Use of Composites in Aircraft Design
Initially, composites were used only in secondary structure, but through technological innovation and development of improved materials, their use in primary structures, such as wings and fuselages, has increased. CFC is widely used in the commercial and military aircraft. The use of composite materials in commercial transport aircraft is attractive, owing to the reduced airframe weight which enables better fuel economy and thereby, lowering the operating costs. In 1983, the first significant use of composite material in a commercial aircraft was by Airbus in the rudder of the A300 and A310, and then in 1985 in the vertical tail fin. Later, a honeycomb core with CFRP faceplates was used for the elevator of the A310. Thereafter, composite materials were used for the entire tail structure of the A320, which also featured composite fuselage belly skins, fin/fuselage fairings, fixed leading & trailing-edge bottom access panels and deflectors, trailing-edge flaps & flap-track fairings, spoilers, ailerons, wheel doors, main gear leg fairing doors, and nacelles. Currently, composite materials constitute almost 50% of the Boeing 787, with an average weight savings of 20%.
The excellent strength-to-weight ratio of composites is used in helicopters to maximize payloads and their performance. Boeing Vertol used composites for rotorcraft fairings in the 1950s and made the first composite rotor blades in the 1970s. Composites are used in major structural elements of many modern helicopters, including the V22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which is approximately 50 percent composites by weight. The formability of composites has been used in helicopters so as to reduce the numbers of component parts and therefore cost.
Composites are also extensively used in the military aircraft in the recent years. For instance, composites are widely used in the wing skins, forward fuselage, flaperons, and rudder of military aircraft named, Eurofighter. Toughened epoxy skins constitute about 75 percent of the exterior area. In total, about 40 percent of the structural weight of the Eurofighter is carbon-fiber-reinforced composite material.
Regional Analysis
Europe consumed the largest share of CFC by volume, which was 66.8 kilotons in 2017. The use of woven fabrics, non-crimp fabrics, and glass mat in the aerospace applications resulted in the high-volume consumption of CFC in the region. Additionally, the presence of leading aircraft manufacturers in the European CFC market is expected to increase the demand of CFC in the region. Increasing aircraft production rates of the A350XWB and A320 family including neo versions are likely to boost the demand for continuous fiber composites in the region.
Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the CFC market. This is due to the increasing usage of CFC in aircraft for commercial and military purposes and presence of leading players, such as Toray Industries, Inc., and Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., in the region. Upcoming commercial and regional aircraft (COMAC C919 and Mitsubishi MRJ), and the opening of assembly plants of Boeing and Airbus in China are the major factors driving the demand for continuous fiber composites in the region.
