SABIC

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), a chemical manufacturing company, has launched two clear and lightweight LEXAN polycarbonate sheet solutions for aircraft interiors.

The new offerings, clear LEXAN XHR2000 sheet and LEXAN LIGHT F6L300 sheet, will help deliver long awaited solutions with differentiated cabin interior designs, while also helping to lower significant weight, resulting in a more fuel efficient aircraft.

These lightweight, durable materials will also help design engineers by allowing them to reduce system costs, offer ease of fabrication and comply with strict industry regulatory standards.

SABIC Innovative Plastics business mass transportation marketing director Kim Choate said: "SABIC’s durable, lightweight LEXAN XHR2000 and LEXAN LIGHT F6L300 sheet solutions are market-first solutions, created to help our customers remain at the forefront of innovation in this exciting environment where aesthetics, safety and sustainability are all critical."

"It helps replace traditional polyvinyl chloride and acrylic blend-based sheet products for potential applications such as seating parts, cockpit dashboard enclosures, partitions, luggage compartments and passenger service units."

SABIC’s new clear LEXAN XHR2000 sheet provides 80% light transmission, the highest level of light transmission currently available in an OSU-compliant sheet material.

It facilitates the design of key components such as security partitions and oversized windows, in addition to helping designers work on new interiors such as self-service refreshment stations on aircraft.

Among other applications are partitions, dust covers, instrument displays, entertainment screen partitions and divider panels, galley equipment panels, protective panels, railing panels, barriers, windows, mirrors, lighting lenses, door and refrigeration systems and printed, custom laminated applications.

SABIC’s patent-pending LEXAN LIGHT F6L300 sheet complies with flame, smoke and OEM toxicity, and with a specific gravity of 0.85g/cm³, it offers nearly 40% weight savings.

It helps replace traditional polyvinyl chloride and acrylic blend (PVC/PMMA) based sheet products for potential applications such as seating parts, cockpit dashboard enclosures, partitions, luggage compartments and passenger service units.

Replacing high-toxicity PVC/PMMA products with LEXAN LIGHT sheet on seating frames can reduce weight by 121.6kg based on an aircraft with average of 190 seats, as a result saving the total commercial fleet roughly 206,720t of fuel and 656,640t of CO2 per year.

Image: SABIC launches two clear and lightweight LEXAN polycarbonate sheet solutions for aircraft interiors. Photo: courtesy of SABIC.

Defence Technology