Advanced composites enable the revival of rigid airships in LTA Research's 400-foot-long Pathfinder 1.

In May 2025, #LTAResearch began flight testing its Pathfinder 1 airship at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, marking the return of rigid airships after more than 80 years. The geodesic framework comprises nearly 10,000 hollow carbon fiber tubes connected by 3,000 precision-welded titanium hubs, creating the skeleton for what is currently the world’s largest flying aircraft.

Kilwell Fibrelab manufactured the tubes using a roll-wrapping process with Toray aerospace-grade carbon fiber prepreg, including both spread tow plain weave intermediate modulus and unidirectional high modulus materials. The two standardized tube configurations underwent a high-temperature cure cycle, and the manufacturing facility implemented a comprehensive data tracking system to meet aviation standards.

The CFRP tubes provide critical weight savings while delivering the compressive strength needed for the airship’s 13 mainframes. This material selection allows the rigid structure to support the propulsion, navigation and safety systems of the modern airship, validating the composite-intensive design approach for lighter-than-air vehicles.

Read more about the airship in CW’s “Next-generation airship design enabled by modern composites.” https://lnkd.in/eFERQUHA

source : #CompositesWorld

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : What if you could run industrial AFP experiments without industrial-scale infrastructure?

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

What if you could run industrial AFP experiments without industrial-scale infrastructure?

Layway LabAFP: Laser-Assisted Thermoplastic AFP for Research & Development

Layway LabAFP is a compact laser-assisted thermoplastic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) system engineered specifically for research, development, and education.

Designed as an open-architecture platform, LabAFP provides full access to process parameters, enabling controlled experimentation, material validation, and AFP process optimization at laboratory scale.

Key capabilities include laser-assisted in-situ consolidation, open parameter control (temperature, speed, compaction), high repeatability and process stability, and compatibility with thermoplastic UD tapes such as PA, PPS, LM-PAEK, PEEK, PEKK, and PEI. The system is delivered in a plug-and-play, lab-friendly configuration.

LabAFP enables AFP process and parameter development, evaluation of new thermoplastic composite materials, small-scale preform manufacturing, research on post-processing routes (VBO, autoclave, hybrid workflows), as well as education and training in automated composite manufacturing.

By bridging academic research and industrial AFP workflows, Layway LabAFP supports rapid innovation in thermoplastic composite technologies.

source : Layway

Plant-based material offers sustainable method of recovering rare earth element

Despite rare earth elements’ importance in manufacturing cell phones, magnets and a host of other consumer and commercial electronics, the lack of a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to obtaining these metals has led to a global shortage, according to Amir Sheikhi, associate professor of chemical engineering.

Sheikhi is the principal investigator on a paper, recently published in Advanced Functional Materials, that proposes a novel technology of isolating and recovering dysprosium, a rare earth element used to manufacture semiconductors, engines, generators and more.

Commercialized approaches to separating rare earth elements primarily use solvents, dissolved liquids or solids that can break apart minerals, and require rooms full of machinery and chemicals to function, according to Sheikhi.

To improve this inefficient and pollutant process, the team turned to cellulose. They adjusted the cellulose’s molecular structure to create a very small, crystalline material, only about 100 nanometers long ,1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This nanocellulose is covered with tiny, hair-like cellulose chains at both ends – known as anionic hairy cellulose nanocrystals (AHCNC).

The team then added their nanocellulose to a water-based solution of neodymium and dysprosium, observing how the nanocellulose was able to separate the dissolved metals through a process called adsorption, where a surface collects and holds ions from a liquid or dissolved solid.

On top of that, our process is very straightforward and efficient. We just add our #nanocellulose to a solution and separate the metals.”

Further study of the samples revealed how the hairs found on AHCNC can essentially act as a filter to target and separate #dysprosium ions specifically. Sheikhi said this surprised the team, who had initially thought adjusting the functional group type, or specific sets of atoms that determine how elements will chemically react with one another, of the cellulose would be key to optimizing separation.

“After comparing this behavior side-by-side with other cellulose-based platforms, we determined it's not just the functional group type of the material that facilitates this selectivity. “It’s the structure of the material itself and the position of the functional groups, which showcases the unique properties of these hairy nanostructures.

With more development, the team said they believe this approach could offer a faster, cleaner and commercially practical way to recycle dysprosium and other rare earth elements. Moving forward, the researchers plan to test their method’s viability isolating other rare earth elements and critical minerals. They also plan to further optimize the cellulose, with the goal of preparing the technology to scale for practical use in factories and laboratories around the U.S.

source : Penn State University

 

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Behind the Fabric — Understanding Chemical Fiber Classification

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

👉 Behind the Fabric — Understanding Chemical Fiber Classification

Chemical fibers form the backbone of modern textiles, enabling performance, scalability, and functional innovation that natural fibers alone cannot achieve. Based on the framework shown in the reference chart, chemical fibers are broadly defined as fibers produced from natural or synthetic polymers through chemical processing, and they are generally classified into #regeneratedfibers, #syntheticfibers, and #inorganicfibers.

1️⃣ Regenerated Fibers

Regenerated fibers are produced by chemically processing natural polymers and then re-forming them into fibers. Although manufactured, their polymer origin remains natural.

Regenerated Cellulose Fibers

Typical examples include viscose rayon, modal, and lyocell. These fibers are valued for their softness, moisture absorption, breathability, and comfort, making them widely used in apparel and intimate textiles.

Regenerated Protein Fibers:

Derived from natural proteins such as soybean protein, corn protein, or milk protein, these fibers offer a soft handfeel and skin-friendly properties, though they are used more selectively due to cost and performance limitations.

2️⃣ Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic fibers are produced entirely from chemically synthesized polymers, offering consistent quality, high durability, and engineered performance.

Key categories include:

Polyamide (Nylon, PA) – Known for strength, abrasion resistance, and elasticity

Polyester (PES / PET) – Excellent dimensional stability, durability, and versatility

Acrylic (PAN) – Wool-like appearance with good bulk and warmth

Vinyl (PVA) – Specialized applications with chemical resistance

Polypropylene (PP) – Lightweight, moisture-resistant, and chemically stable

Spandex (PU / Elastane) – Exceptional stretch and recovery, critical for performance and fitted garments

These fibers dominate functional apparel, sportswear, swimwear, and technical textiles due to their tunable properties.

3️⃣ Inorganic Fibers

Inorganic fibers such as glass fiber, ceramic fiber, metal fiber, and carbon fiber are primarily used in industrial and technical applications, where heat resistance, strength, or conductivity are required rather than comfort.

Why This Classification Matters

Understanding chemical fiber classification is essential for material selection, product development, and performance engineering. Each fiber group reflects a different balance between comfort, durability, elasticity, chemical resistance, and end-use suitability. In modern textile design, fiber choice is no longer about “natural vs. synthetic,” but about matching polymer behavior to functional demand.

Behind every finished fabric lies a deliberate fiber decision—this is where textile performance truly begins.

source : George Jia

#fabric #textile #innovation

Roehm Introduces ACRYLITE® SunResist: Advanced UV Protection Meets Premium Performance

#Roehm proudly announces the launch of #ACRYLITE®SunResist, a breakthrough in capstock technology and the first of its kind under the ACRYLITE® brand, Roehm’s polymethyl methacrylate (#PMMA) products in the Americas.

Engineered for manufacturers who demand durability, aesthetics, and efficiency, ACRYLITE® SunResist sets a new benchmark for #outdoor applications including #windowconstruction, decking, outdoor furniture, #façades, and recreational components that must perform and look exceptional in high‑exposure environments.

Outdoor products face relentless UV, temperature swings, and abrasion. ACRYLITE® SunResist is a PMMA molding compound that has been formulated to create ultra‑thin co‑extruded protective layer that block harmful UV light up to 400 nm to help preserve color and surface integrity, reducing fading and degradation over time. Beyond its inherent UV and weather resistance, ACRYLITE® SunResist is designed for superior weatherability, maintaining color and gloss even under prolonged sunlight and moisture – ideal for components that must retain a premium appearance season after season.

ACRYLITE® SunResist elevates finished parts with a premium surface quality that offers precise gloss management, surface hardness and #abrasionresistance, as well as chemical resistance, enabling high end aesthetics without sacrificing robustness. Mechanical integrity is reinforced by high impact strength and heat stability, which help to prevent stress cracking, warping, or distortion at elevated temperatures.

For processors, ACRYLITE® SunResist was tuned for high flowability and a broad processing window. These attributes support smoother extrusion/co extrusion, help reduce scrap and improve overall productivity. ACRYLITE® SunResist demonstrates best in class adhesion to compatible substrates, designed to prevent brittle edges during cutting and to resist cap layer peeling. This is key for complex profiles, cut to size parts, and post fabrication operations.

Performance Indicators

UV and weather resistance: High UV absorbance up to 400 nm supports the product’s protective role against #photodegradation and color shift.

Color Fastness (Xenon Arc, ASTM G155 Cycle 1): Tests indicate a focus on minimizing perceptible color change over time in accelerated weathering, reinforcing the long term appearance goal for outdoor products.

Mechanical & Thermal Profile: Comparative framing highlights high flexural strength, notched Izod impact performance, and elevated heat deflection temperature, supporting resistance to bending, impact, and heat related deformation.

source : Roehm

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share :How important have composite materials

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

📢 Time to get technical... 📢

How important have composite materials been during the history of mankind? This schematic shows the relative importance of the four classes of materials (metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics) in engineering as a function of time! 😮

Composites have been part of human engineering for thousands of years.

But their role stayed relatively modest… until fiberglass changed the game.

Since the 1960s, composites have moved from niche solutions to core engineering materials. Enabling lighter structures, higher performance, and designs that simply aren’t possible with monolithic materials. 💡

That steady rise in relevance isn’t accidental.

It reflects how modern engineering thinks: optimize, tailor, and do more with less.

So let’s open the discussion:

What should define the next decade of composite materials and where should innovation focus next?

source: Material Selection in Mechanical Design / 4th Edition, Michael F. Ashby

credit:The Native Lab