RUSSCOMP® AP
Core Features
Lightweight, High Strength and Structural Stability: PMI foam is a 100% closed-cell rigid foam material with a density much lower than that of traditional metals. However, its specific strength and specific modulus are among the highest in polymer foam materials. For example, at a density of 130kg/m³, its compressive strength can reach 5.2MPa and shear modulus up to 118MPa. It can significantly reduce component weight while meeting the stringent requirements for structural strength and stiffness during launch vehicle flight, preventing deformation caused by airflow impact, self-load, and other factors.
High Temperature Resistance and Compatibility with Molding Processes: It has a heat distortion temperature of up to 180-240℃, enabling it to withstand aerodynamic heating during launch vehicle launch and flight. It is also compatible with the 180℃ high-temperature curing process commonly used in the aerospace field, and is not prone to significant creep even under a curing pressure of 10bar. In contrast, PVC foam basically loses its performance at 130℃, failing to meet the manufacturing and service requirements of rocket components.
Excellent Compatibility and Processability: The material has good compatibility with various resin systems such as epoxy and bismaleimide (BMI), featuring high interfacial bonding strength. It can be cured together with prepregs, integrating well into the composite manufacturing process of rocket components. Meanwhile, it possesses excellent cutting and thermoforming capabilities, allowing precise processing into the complex curved structures required for fairings and interstages without delamination or cracking during processing.
Corrosion Resistance and Low Water Absorption: Its closed-cell structure can not only resist erosion by various media that may be encountered during rocket flight but also reduce water absorption. This prevents performance degradation caused by moisture infiltration, ensuring that fairings and interstages maintain stable performance for a long time in complex aerospace environments.
Main Application Fields
1. Aircraft Field
Key Load-Bearing Fuselage Components: The material is often used as the core material for components such as the rear pressure bulkhead stringers of the fuselage and the stiffeners of the airtight cabin spherical frame. For example, the Airbus A380 adopts such PMI foam for the stringers of the rear pressure bulkhead, which significantly enhances the strength and stability of the component structure while reducing the fuselage weight compared with traditional metal materials, helping to improve aircraft fuel efficiency.
Helicopter Rotor Blades: In the manufacturing of helicopter rotor blades, Russcomp® HTP can serve as the core material. For instance, the rotor blades of the British EH-101 anti-submarine helicopter, after adopting this type of PMI foam, can not only withstand complex dynamic loads during flight without easy deformation but also significantly extend the service life of the blades, whose durability is far superior to that of traditional metal blade materials.
2. Aerospace/Launch Vehicle Field
Fairings and Interstages: Components such as the payload fairing, interstage section and intermediate body of launch vehicles have extremely high requirements for material lightweight and structural stability. For example, the US Delta series rockets extensively use the sandwich structure of such PMI foam to manufacture these components, which not only reduces the overall weight of the rocket to improve the effective payload capacity but also resists aerodynamic heating and external pressure during rocket flight, ensuring the safety of internal spacecraft.
Thermal Insulation and Protection Components: Rockets face extreme high-temperature environments during launch and re-entry into the atmosphere. With good thermal stability, Russcomp® HTP can be used to manufacture thermal insulation shields and other protective components of rockets. It can maintain structural integrity under high-temperature conditions, effectively block heat transfer, and prevent internal precision instruments and equipment from being damaged by high temperatures.
3. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Field
Main Fuselage and Wing Structures: UAVs have strict requirements for endurance and maneuverability. The wing and fuselage components made by compounding Russcomp® HTP as the core material with carbon fiber and other materials can greatly reduce the weight of UAVs, reduce energy consumption, and thus extend the endurance range. At the same time, its high specific strength can ensure that the fuselage and wings can withstand air flow impact without deformation in complex flight environments, meeting the mechanical performance requirements of UAVs under working conditions such as high altitude and high speed.
Protective Components for Onboard Equipment: The precision equipment such as reconnaissance and communication carried by UAVs requires reliable protective structures. The material can be used to manufacture protective casings and internal support structures of equipment. With excellent impact resistance and vibration reduction performance, it avoids damage to equipment during flight jolts or take-off and landing impacts, ensuring stable operation of equipment.
