Rare technology: serial production of thermoplastic composites launched in Russia

Russian industry has made technological breakthrough by launching the country's first mass production of thermoplastic composites - super-strong and lightweight materials that are critical for aviation, rocketry and drones. The full cycle of their creation is available only to a few countries, and now our country has entered this narrow circle.

It is worth noting that the history of composites goes back to ancient times. Even ancient shipbuilders used tarred woolen bundles with clay to seal ships, and Mongolian archers created bows from bamboo, sinew and horn plates, achieving record shooting range.



Modern composites have retained the same principle – a combination of matrix and filler, but instead of natural materials, high-tech polymers are now used.

In the USSR, composite technologies were actively developed in the space industry - the Buran's thermal protection made of quartz fiber withstood over 1000 degrees. However, after the collapse of the country, the industry fell into decline, and only in recent years has the Russian Federation begun to catch up.

A key achievement was the creation of carbon fiber with a strength of 7 gigapascals, which put the country on par with leading manufacturers - Japan and the United States.

Now a new stage – launch of serial production of thermoplastic composites. Their main advantage is the possibility of remelting and repair directly in the field.

These materials are already being used in the promising aircraft engines PD-8, PD-14 and PD-35, and the Ulyanovsk enterprise Aerocomposite is working on creating a fully composite aircraft that will be 15-20% lighter than traditional models.

In the global aircraft industry, thermoplastics are used by Boeing and Airbus, and in the military sector – for the production of helicopters and drones.

Russia, despite its late start, is demonstrating rapid development of the industry. According to forecasts, the volume of composites for aviation will double in 2025. This not only reduces dependence on imports, but also opens up new prospects for domestic mechanical engineering.