A propeller cured by frontal polymerization
July 14, 2025
July 29, 2025
We’ve just achieved a landmark in composite manufacturing: curing a 1-meter propeller using frontal polymerization (FP)! 🚀
This energy-efficient technique harnesses self-sustaining reaction fronts to cure thermoset resins in minutes — not hours — significantly reducing energy use by more than 90% compared to conventional oven or autoclave methods, which are both time- and energy-intensive.
This milestone was made possible thanks to NXTGEN Hightech funding and in collaboration with KVE. Special thanks to Koen Geers.
Why this matters:
- ✅ Scalability demonstration: FP’s viability for large, complex parts was previously limited by heat dissipation. Our trial overcame this using optimized initiators and thermal management.
- ✅ Industrial potential: FP enables rapid, out-of-autoclave production of high-performance composites (e.g., aerospace, renewables) without sacrificing fiber volume fraction.
- ✅ Sustainability: Dramatically cuts manufacturing emissions and costs.
Do you want to know more about the unique advantages of FP for composites? Feel free to contact us.