AGC Chemicals: The Fluoropolymer Materials Keeping Aircraft Safe at 35,000 Feet

What components are required for an aircraft to reach 35,000 feet?

When asked, many may state the obvious: wings, fuselage, landing gear, stabilizers. However, most people never consider the chemicals that work behind-the-scenes to hold the aircraft together.

The paint on the fuselage. The wire running through the airframe. The seals protecting the hydraulic systems from fuel and heat. These parts are not as widely considered, but they play an integral role in an aircraft’s safety and reliability.

Based in Exton, Pennsylvania, AGC Chemicals produces the fluoropolymer materials and compounds used in making these integral behind-the-scenes components. The company itself specializes in a variety of industries, including construction, energy, electronics, and more. In aerospace specifically, AGC supplies products that are prevalent throughout many parts of an aircraft’s structure and systems.

Wire & Cable

eVTOL vehicles represent one of the fastest-growing segments in aviation. Due to their flight profiles, these aircraft require lightweight, flexible cable capable of regulating high electrical loads in tight spaces. AGC’s Fluon+™ melt processable compounds fill this role.

These same compounds appear in the airframe wiring on conventional aircraft. Cross-linked ETFE formulations from the Fluon+ line increase mechanical strength at higher temperatures, inherently providing an additional level of flame resistance. Considering the wide-ranging climates where these aircraft will be operated, materials that consistently ensure safety and performance hold real value.

Cleaning Solvents for High-Stakes Applications

Before aerospace bearings go into service, they require precise cleaning, a level that most industrial processes do not approach. Particles at sub-micron scales can compromise performance in aerospace applications, where speeds and loads are considerably high. AGC’s AsahiKlin™ and AMOLEA™ fluorosolvents handle this work.

These solvents remove contaminants without leaving residue, all while meeting environmental standards. AMOLEA in particular is part of a newer generation of fluorosolvent technology designed to replace older compounds with stronger, more sustainable substitutes. AGC’s products are able to leverage this next generation of cleaning technology to go above and beyond in cleaning precision, now while being environmentally sustainable.

Seals That Hold Under Pressure

Aircraft travel through various atmospheric profiles. For a Boeing 777 departing a middle-eastern climate, for example, the aircraft could travel from an environment 100 degrees fahrenheit at sea level to -70 degrees fahrenheit at cruise. This widely varying temperature gradient requires more rigorous solutions to ensure the aircraft continues to function reliably across thousands of operational cycles.

Landing gear, brakes, fuel systems, and hydraulic lines all depend on seals that perform without fail across these wide temperature ranges. AGC’s AFLAS® fluoroelastomers and Fluon+ filled PTFE compounds are used in these components.

AFLAS fluoroelastomers resist steam, chemicals, and heat in ways that standard elastomers do not. Filled PTFE compounds bring low friction and dimensional stability to bearing surfaces and seals. These materials stay functional in conditions that degrade conventional options quickly.

At the Cutting-Edge

Beyond AGC’s robust product offering, the firm stands out in its research and development efforts, enabling the company to remain one step ahead of its competition. The company’s Business and Technology Center in Exton runs physical testing, analytical testing, and accelerated aging studies on the materials it develops to refine them accordingly.

Thus, customers who use AGC’s products are certain that they are not only using the industry’s newest technology, but that they are well-connected with a firm actively improving upon it.

AGC is developing products that make aircraft safer, more durable, and less expensive to maintain. That is a specific and consequential contribution to an industry where reliability is paramount.

To learn more about AGC’s product offering, visit their website.