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PAX International - June 2022
Alpine Advanced Materials is highlighting its high-tech new material HX5 which it expects to replace aluminum in the cabin for small components such as armrests and brackets.
The lightweight yet strong material has many advantages, according to Nathan Hamontree, Business Development Manager, Alpine Advanced Materials.
As well as being 50 percent lighter and 93 percent as strong as 6061-T6 aluminum, HX5 is non-corrosive, UV- and radiation-resistant. It contributes considerably to weight-saving on an aircraft, Hamontree told PAX Tech magazine during the AIX show in Hamburg.
The company can provide decorative or functional coatings which can be customized by an airline. Antimicrobial coatings are also available.
Another benefit is that Alpine Advanced Materials has a flexible supply chain and there is price stability. Aluminum prices have increased by 30% this year alone, while Alpine has maintained its material costs for the past three years, said Hamontree.
HX5 was originally developed to replace machined aluminum on the F-35 at Lockheed Martin.
Read the original story from PAX International.