Boeing Emphasizes Thermoplastic Composites Simplify Aircraft Production at US Senate Hearing
In testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg affirmed the critical role of thermoplastic composites (TPC) in the future of aerospace manufacturing, identifying it as "a significant technology area we should invest in." In response to a question from senior committee member Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ortberg emphasized that TPC offers "huge advantages" and will "simplify aircraft production," helping to drive innovation and create jobs throughout the aerospace sector.
Senator Cantwell's continued focus on workforce development, advanced materials, and strategic technology investments has earned strong praise from Ortberg, who acknowledged the senator's leadership and the foundational work of the AAMMC Technology Center.
With the global demand for aircraft soaring (with an estimated 40,000 new planes worldwide), Senator Cantwell emphasized the stakes of investing in next-generation manufacturing capabilities. "If we ignore [thermoplastic composites], we as a nation risk falling behind," she warned, pointing to the opportunity to impact more than 2 million workers in the aerospace industry. Otterberg also echoed this sense of urgency, saying that while the U.S. may be trailing international competitors like Europe, "we are not irreversibly behind."
The hearing highlighted the transformative potential of TPC to replace traditional metal parts in aircraft, introducing a completely different manufacturing process that requires retraining and expanding the domestic aerospace workforce. "We have to train a completely different type of application, a different workforce to use TPC," Ortberg said. "We have a lot of work to do."
This moment marks an increasing recognition of the mission of the AAMMC Technology Center, as well as another important milestone in Senator Cantwell's steadfast advocacy for American aviation innovation, safety, and competitiveness. The AAMMC Technology Center serves as a testbed and training hub for developing cutting-edge technologies and provides a pipeline for aerospace engineers and technicians to advance advanced aerospace materials.
Matrix of thermoplastic composites for aerospace: PEEK/PAEK/PEKK
PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is a unique semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic with excellent chemical compatibility.
Parts made of PEEK polymer high-temperature plastic can be used at temperatures up to 260 °C, with a melting point of approximately 341 °C. PEEK maintains a high level of physical performance, such as flexural and tensile strength, even in harsh environments.
PEEK has wear resistance, moisture resistance, and chemical resistance, as well as excellent strength, dimensional stability, and stiffness. Due to its high performance, PEEK is used in many demanding environments in the medical, nuclear, chemical processing, and aerospace industries.
PAEK (polyaryletherketone) and PEKK (polyetherketoneketone) belong to the same family and have similar but lower performance compared to PEEK. The low melting point of PEKK and PAEK is beneficial for improving the efficiency of automated fiber placement when used as a matrix for composite materials.
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