“Growing Use of Composite Materials for Weight Reduction and Fuel Efficiency”
- Aerospace manufacturers are increasingly adopting carbon fiber-reinforced polymers and ceramic matrix composites to reduce aircraft weight and enhance fuel efficiency
- Lightweight composites can lower fuel consumption by up to 20%, making them more cost-effective over the aircraft’s lifecycle
- Composites offer additional benefits such as corrosion resistance and fatigue strength, which reduces maintenance and increases service life
- The military sector is leveraging composites in stealth technology due to their radar-absorbing properties
- Composite usage is rapidly expanding across both new aircraft programs and retrofitting of older fleets
- For instance, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner uses over 50% composite materials by weight to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions
