Syensqo, an advanced materials company, in partnership with Boeing, has demonstrated Syensqo’s CYCOM 5250-4HT high service temperature prepreg as a viable replacement for titanium on the MQ-25 Stingray exhaust nozzle.
Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray, designed for the U.S. Navy, is scheduled to be the world’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling vehicle.
The plane’s wing and fuselage skins are composed of Syensqo’s CYCOM prepregs and FM adhesive materials. By incorporating CYCOM 5250-4HT on the exhaust nozzle concept, additional lightweighting is achieved, allowing the aircraft to carry more fuel while reducing reliance on titanium.
CYCOM 5250-4HT is a bismaleimide resin system with thermal stability after thermal cycling, ideal for use in high temperature areas near engines for defense, propulsion, space and launch and high-performance automotive applications. It comes in a variety of carbon, glass and quartz product forms and is compatible with Syensqo’s high temperature adhesives and surfacing product line.
Josh Dustin, Senior Manager with Boeing Research & Technology, Structures Technology, said “The successful technology demonstration, made possible through the close collaboration between Boeing and Syensqo engineering teams, has validated the feasibility of integrating the CYCOM 5250-4HT material system into a composite exhaust nozzle structure. This was a critical step in pushing forward the art of the possible with high-temperature composite applications.”