Evonik Product ROHACELL® Assists Xiang Feng taking off

China's first domestically produced regional passenger jet, an ARJ21¬700, completed its successful maiden flight in Shanghai. The regional jet has adopted mature technologies as well as advanced materials of the world. Evonik Industries, Germany, has supported the so called Xiang Feng, meaning Flying Phoenix, with high-performance foams, ideal lightweight materials for the aerospace industry: the polymethacrylimide rigid foam ROHACELL® for structural composites.

Both the winglet and flap vane of ARJ21 are using ROHACELL® foam-cored sandwich structures. This is the first time for ROHACELL® to be introduced into a Chinese own-designed airplane. The polymethacrylimide rigid foam ROHACELL® is used as a core material in composites—a technique that bonds the foam between two cover skins made of high-tenacity plastics, which are reinforced by carbon or glass fibers. The result: extremely rigid and lightweight molded parts capable of withstanding extreme stresses. Of all foams on the market, ROHACELL® has the best ratio of weight to mechanical properties and the highest thermostability. This makes ROHACELL® an ideal lightweight material for the aerospace industry.

The ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century) is featured for its safety and economical price. It is the first regional jet that China has fully developed on its own, in accordance with the international standards. It will also be the first Chinese aircraft to be sold to Europe and America. A total of 208 ARJ21-700s have been ordered so far, including 25 by GE Commercial Aviation Services of the United States.