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In the field of aviation, the performance of materials is directly related to the performance, safety and development potential of aircraft. With the rapid progress of aviation technology, the requirements for materials are becoming more and more stringent, not only with high strength and low density, but also in high temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, electrical insulation and dielectric properties and other aspects of excellent performance. Quartz fiber silicone composites have emerged as a result, and with their unique combination of properties, they have become an innovative force in the field of aviation, injecting new vitality into the development of modern aviation vehicles.

Fiber Pretreatment Improves Bonding
Pre-treatment of quartz fibers is a crucial step before compounding quartz fibers with silicone resin. Since the surface of quartz fibers is usually smooth, which is not conducive to strong bonding with silicone resin, the surface of quartz fibers can be modified through chemical treatment, plasma treatment and other methods.
Precise Resin Formulation to Meet Needs
Silicone resins need to be accurately formulated to meet the diverse composite material performance requirements of different application scenarios in the aerospace field. This involves careful design and adjustment of the molecular structure of the silicone resin, as well as the addition of appropriate amounts of curing agents, catalysts, fillers and other additives.
Multiple Molding Processes to Ensure Quality
Common molding processes for quartz fiber silicone composites include Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), Vacuum Assisted Resin Injection (VARI), and Hot Press Molding, each of which has its own unique advantages and scope of application.
Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) is a process in which the pre-treated quartz fiber preform is placed in a mold, and then the prepared silicone resin is injected into the mold under a vacuum environment to fully infiltrate the fiber with the resin, and then finally cured and molded under a certain temperature and pressure.
Vacuum-assisted resin injection process, on the other hand, uses vacuum suction to draw the resin into the molds covered with quartz fibers to realize the composite of fibers and resin.
Hot compression molding process is to mix quartz fibers and silicone resin in a certain proportion, put into the mold, and then make the resin curing under high temperature and pressure, so as to form a composite material.
Post-treatment to perfect the material properties
After the composite material is molded, a series of post-treatment processes, such as heat treatment and machining, are needed to further improve the material properties and meet the strict requirements of the aviation field. Heat treatment can eliminate the residual stress inside the composite material, enhance the interfacial bonding between the fiber and matrix, and improve the stability and durability of the material. By precisely controlling the parameters of heat treatment such as temperature, time and cooling rate, the performance of composite materials can be optimized.
Performance Advantage:

High Specific Strength and High Specific Modulus Weight Reduction
Compared with traditional metal materials, quartz fiber silicone composites have significant advantages of high specific strength (ratio of strength to density) and high specific modulus (ratio of modulus to density). In aerospace, the weight of a vehicle is one of the key factors affecting its performance. Weight reduction means that energy consumption can be reduced, flight speed increased, range and payload increased. The use of quartz fiber silicone resin composites to manufacture aircraft fuselage, wings, tail and other structural components can significantly reduce the weight of the aircraft under the premise of ensuring structural strength and stiffness.

Good dielectric properties to ensure communication and navigation
In modern aviation technology, the reliability of communication and navigation systems is crucial. With its good dielectric properties, quartz fiber silicone composite material has become an ideal material for manufacturing aircraft radome, communication antenna and other components. Radomes need to protect the radar antenna from the external environment and at the same time ensure that electromagnetic waves can penetrate smoothly and accurately transmit signals. The low dielectric constant and low tangent loss characteristics of quartz fiber silicone composites can effectively reduce the loss and distortion of electromagnetic waves in the transmission process, ensuring that the radar system accurately detects the target and guides the aircraft flight.
Ablation resistance for extreme environments
In some special parts of the aircraft, such as the combustion chamber and nozzle of the aviation engine, etc., they need to withstand extremely high temperature and gas flushing. Quartz fiber silicone composites show excellent ablation resistance in high temperature environments. When the surface of the material is subjected to high-temperature flame impact, the silicone resin will decompose and carbonize, forming a layer of carbonized layer with heat-insulating effect, while the quartz fibers are able to maintain the structural integrity and continue to provide strength support for the material.

Areas of Application:
Fuselage and Wing Structural Innovation
Quartz fiber silicone composites are replacing traditional metals in the manufacture of aircraft fuselages and wings, leading to significant structural innovations. Fuselage frames and wing girders made from these composites offer significant weight reductions while maintaining structural strength and stiffness.
Aero-engine component optimization
Aero-engine is the core component of an aircraft, and its performance improvement is crucial to the overall performance of the aircraft. Quartz fiber silicone composites have been applied in many parts of aero-engine to achieve optimization and performance improvement of the parts. In the hot-end parts of the engine, such as combustion chamber and turbine blades, the composite material’s high-temperature and abrasion resistance can effectively improve the service life and reliability of the parts, and reduce the maintenance cost of the engine.