June 29, 2023
(press release)
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Collaboration opens exciting new perspectives in weight reduction and noise & vibration management for aircraft cabin interiors Solvay, a global market leader in polymer and composite materials, signed a long-term agreement with Zotefoams, the world’s largest manufacturer of lightweight cross-linked polyolefin block foams and a specialist in innovative technical foams, for the supply of Solef® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Solef® will be used to produce Zotefoams’ ZOTEK® F high-performance closed cell crosslinked aerospace foam range. The collaboration will target a wide range of interior applications in aerospace including ducting, carpet underlay, environmental control systems and insulation, where low weight, high flame retardancy and cost-effective processability are paramount. “This agreement marks the starting point of a collaborative partnership towards supply security, quality and innovation,” says Marc Doyle, Executive Vice President for Aerospace & Defense of Solvay Materials Business. “It opens exciting new perspectives for weight reduction as well as noise and vibration management for interior components thanks to Solef® PVDF, extending the reach of our polymers into yet another demanding market segment. We are excited to partner with Zotefoams in helping the aircraft industry achieve its ambitious environmental and sustainability targets.” Solef® PVDF is inherently flame retardant and combines a high degree of purity with robust mechanical properties, electrochemical stability and broad chemical resistance at high temperatures. The specialty polymer already has a history of proven success in various markets including fast growing lithium-ion batteries for Automotive. Formed to deliver lightweight closed cell cross-linked foams, it can provide weight savings of up to 70% in aircraft interiors while meeting the strictest aerospace standards. “PVDF foam is the ideal material for a multitude of applications in air- and spacecraft interiors and we are delighted that this agreement gives security of supply for our customers in unpredictable times," comments James Bridges, Director of High-Performance Products at Zotefoams. "As the commercial aviation sector strives to meet stringent carbon reduction targets, the lightweighting capabilities of ZOTEK F are more in demand than ever, so the announcement of our partnership with Solvay could not be more timely. We look forward to working together to explore new horizons with cellular materials based on Solef® PVDF.” Manufactured at Solvay’s sites in North America, Europe and Asia to the same standards of purity and consistency, Solef® PVDF is available world-wide and offers a high level of global supply security. Solvay and Zotefoams have signed a long-term supply agreement for Solef® PVDF to be used in high-performance closed-cell foams for a wide range of lightweighting aircraft interior applications. [Solvay and Zotefoams representatives at the signing event]. Contact us Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 22,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €13.4 billion in 2022. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at www.solvay.com. Zotefoams plc (LSE – ZTF) is a world leader in cellular materials technology delivering optimal material solutions for the benefit of society. Utilising a variety of unique manufacturing processes, including environmentally friendly nitrogen expansion for lightweight AZOTE® polyolefin and ZOTEK® high-performance foams, Zotefoams sells to diverse markets worldwide. Zotefoams uses its own cellular materials to manufacture T-FIT® advanced insulation for demanding industrial markets. Zotefoams also owns and licenses patented microcellular foam technology to reduce plastic use in extrusion applications and for ReZorce® mono-material recyclable barrier packaging. Zotefoams is headquartered in Croydon, UK, with additional manufacturing sites in Kentucky, USA and Brzeg, Poland (foam manufacture), Oklahoma, USA (foam products manufacture and conversion), Massachusetts, USA and Stilling, Denmark (microcellular foam technology) and Jiangsu Province, China (T-FIT). AZOTE®, ZOTEK®, ReZorce® and T-FIT® are registered trademarks of Zotefoams plc. Learn more at www.zotefoams.com. Related media
Claire Michel
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