COMAC Qualifies VICTREX™ PEEK Polymers as Solutions for Newly-developed Aircraft

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA USA – According to a recent market study¹, China will have the largest need for commercial aircraft over the next 20 years with Chinese airlines requiring approximately 5,000 new airplanes during that time period. With demand growing at a rapid pace, a strong presence of other aircraft manufacturers in the region, and the need to produce a competitive product, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) recognized that it would need to specify cutting-edge polymeric materials for its new single-aisle commercial airplane, the C919. In response to this development that is scheduled to launch in 2016, Victrex, the world leader in PEEK polymer solutions, has announced that it is the only PEEK manufacturer to have its innovative materials added to COMAC’s qualified product list (QPL) for use on its next-generation aircraft.

Victrex, with its 35 years of experience in supporting industry leading companies around the world, was chosen by COMAC to collaborate on identifying VICTREX™ PEEK solutions that can help in the production of a safe, easily-assembled, and fuel-efficient aircraft. “We have been working with COMAC for almost two years now and are extremely excited to announce this significant achievement,” says Harald Hedderich, Aerospace Strategic Marketing Manager. “With our products already listed, we can continue to work closely together on expanding qualifications of our materials as COMAC understands the value that the Victrex team and product portfolio brings to the table.”

Given the strong growth of the aerospace industry, the ability to offer a stable and long-term supply of products is extremely important. “Victrex has proactively invested in our customers’ futures by making sure that we can guarantee the supply of our innovative material solutions in a timely fashion,” mentioned Hedderich. “An additional 70% of production capacity is coming online in 2015 as we see the long-term demand for our products increasing alongside the continued growth of the aerospace industry as well as the strong growth drivers across the other major markets we serve.”

With decades of product development and technical expertise, Victrex continues to monitor the industry trends and provide unique solutions in resin and semi-finished product formats to help in the manufacture of high performance commercial aircraft. Innovative VICTREX PEEK products are making great strides in replacing metals and other plastics given their high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent chemical resistance, low fire, smoke, and toxicity emissions and by offering the design freedom to create highly-optimized components and systems. The proven track record of thermoplastics like VICTREX PEEK will continue to make it a long-term solution for some of the most demanding aerospace applications.