TenCate Advanced Composites highlights new thermoplastic and thermoset prepreg technologies at CAMX 2017

This press release was issued as TenCate Advanced Composites, prior to our acquisition by Toray Industries and name change to Toray Advanced Composites in 2019.

TenCate Advanced Composites, a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced composite materials will display several innovative composite parts in booth N2.

High volume consumer electronics applications - HP’s latest Spectre Ultrabook utilizes TenCate’s Cetex® TC920 polycarbonate/ABS carbon fiber laminate for the bottom case, replacing a metal design. This application demonstrates the versatility of thermoplastic composites in high volume applications like laptops, tablets, and handheld consumer devices. The part utilizes injection over-molding for fine details delivering design flexibility and manufacturing efficiency.  TenCate’s Cetex polycarbonate/ABS carbon fiber laminates provide UL-94 fire safety without the use of secondary fillers, and provide light weight, high impact strength, and thermally insulative properties.

Thermoplastic recycling research into aerospace grade applications – TenCate will be displaying an aerospace-grade access door made with chopped TenCate Cetex® TC1100 PPS fabric prepreg. This application demonstrates that excess and off cut thermoplastic prepreg can be further utilized in aerospace grade applications. This program was led by the Thermoplastic Composites Research Center (TPRC) who co-developed this part with GKN/Fokker.

TenCate TC380, a new toughened, high compression after impact (CAI) epoxy prepreg for aerospace applications - TenCate will be highlighting TC380, an epoxy out-of-autoclave capable prepreg. Epoxy prepregs historically relied on secondary toughening mechanisms, which often degraded the hot/wet mechanical strength of the prepreg system. TenCate’s TC380 utilizes a proprietary toughening mechanism that does not degrade the modulus of the epoxy prepreg, maintaining both service temperature and open hole compressive strength, while providing excellent compression after impact strength.  TC380 features a 30 day out time for large parts.

TenCate Cetex® thermoplastic prepregs - TenCate will present TenCate Cetex MC1322, a PEKK-based chopped fiber bulk molding compound designed for commercial aircraft applications. Chopped fiber compression molded parts provide manufacturing efficiency while allowing lightweight, complex composite parts to be easily fabricated.

Thermoplastic ortho-grid structure - TenCate will also highlight a thermoplastic ortho-grid aerospace concept part from the TPRC utilizing TenCate Cetex TC1225, a PAEK-based thermoplastic prepreg. TC1225 features lower processing temperatures allowing cost effective over-molding with higher temperature filled PEEK resins to fusion weld integrated rib stiffeners or secondary details.  

TenCate Advanced Composites

Morgan Hill, CA  August 15, 2017