Solvay and 3A Team up to Form Speciality Foams Alliance

Solvay and 3A Composites are teaming up to produce speciality foam materials for the advanced transport sector.

The partnership will combine 3A’s know-how of industrial process development and high volume fabrication of foams, with Solvay’s high-performance plastics materials. The partners will first build on Solvay’s Radel foam and so-called sandwich materials, used on Airbus A350 and Solar Impulse.

Companies are constantly looking to replace heavier plastics and metal structures, which are more time-consuming to process and expensive to maintain, with speciality foams. Light-weighting applications range from the cabin to ducting and trolleys and help to improve energy efficiency.

Armin Klesing, Global Business Development Manager Aerospace & Composites at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit said;

Our alliance is a game changer in making high-tech foams available on a large scale. Part makers will benefit from greater flexibility in their designs and from uniting strength and insulation performance at the highest level of fire resistance.

The alliance secures global logistics and regional support through its manufacturing and workshop capabilities worldwide. 3A Composites expects additional foam extrusion capacity in the United States to come on stream 2016 and will continue to service the market with its existing product lines.