Airbus A340/A380 take off with Fortron from Ticona
Plastic composites from Ticona replace aluminium on the wings


For modern airliners to fly long distances as efficiently as possible, we must look for innovation in the materials of their construction. Fibre-reinforced composites based on the high-performance polymer Fortron (polyphenylene sulphide/PPS) from Ticona will play a key role in the new Airbus series A340 and A380. Airbus is using Ticona's engineering plastics to make the new generation of aircraft more lightweight, ecofriendly and economic. The use of PPS in aircraft construction makes it possible to reduce component weight, so achieving lower fuel consumption, higher passenger capacity and longer range at the same time. With Fortron PPS, Ticona offers modern aircraft construction the solution of replacing aluminium on the wings with plastic, even in applications with high material specifications. Quite simply, with plastics you can fly lighter, faster, further and better.

Fortron Composite Cuts Weight of Aircraft Seating Elements by 40 to 50 Percent
By switching seating components from aluminum to a composite made with carbon fiber and Fortron® (PPS), aircraft seating can be reduced in weight by 40 to 50 %. Such components such as elements, which include lumbar and thigh supports, armrest table covers, and shields for in-flight video screens, are easier and cheaper to process than aluminum resulting in cost savings of about 20 to 25 % compared to aluminum.

Seating in modern airliners calls for innovative concepts that combine safety and comfort. Fortron PPS is ideal in this application since it is robust enough to replace metals yet still lightweight. This engineering polymer was chosen over other polymers as the composite matrix because it is inherently flame retardant. It also has a low smoke index and a high limited oxygen index, in addition to creating an advanced composite having superior mechanical properties compared to aluminum.