Solvay and 3A Composites in Global Foams Alliance

Solvay and 3A Composites have teamed up to manufacture specialty foam materials for advanced transportation. The companies said they will offer for the first time on a large and worldwide scale "a tailored, cost-effective substitute to traditional, labor-intense materials used to reduce the weight of applications."

Their world-scale manufacturing capability will combine 3A Composites' know-how in industrial process development and high-volume fabrication of foams, with Solvay's leading position in high- and ultra-performing plastics materials.

Work will first build on Solvay's Radel foam and so-called sandwich materials, used on Airbus A350 and Solar Impulse and will later expand to products that the Belgian group is developing.

The alliance will secure global logistics and regional support through the companies' manufacturing and workshop capabilities worldwide. 3A Composites expects to bring additional foam extrusion capacity in the US to come on stream 2016 and will continue to service the market with its existing product lines.

Armin Klesing, global business development manager Aerospace & Composites at Solvay's Specialty Polymers global business unit, said the alliance will be "a game changer in making high-tech foams available on a large scale. Part makers will benefit from greater flexibility in their designs and from uniting strength and insulation performance at the highest level of fire resistance."