Are thermoplastic composites the future?

For decades, thermoset carbon-fiber reinforced composites were the preferred material system for making structural parts for aircrafts. Wings, fuselages, and bulkheads are some indicative applications in aerospace. As composite materials are lightweight and strong, they are also widely employed in the automotive industry and in transportation for internal components of cars, buses, and trains as well as for the outer parts. Strength and durability are the main drivers for the use of thermoset composites also in infrastructure applications such as in buildings, bridges, and roads. In global is it expected that the composite market will have an expanding growth at a noteworthy Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.1% from 2023 to 2032. In 2022, thermoset composite matrices like polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, bismaleimides, cyanate esters, polyimides and phenolics led the market with over 70% revenue share.
Although thermoplastic composite materials have been around for a long time, only recently manufacturers have begun to consider the use of thermoplastic based solutions for making primary structural components. Clearly, thermoplastic composites are earning a growing share of structural applications due to their many benefits. Their most notable advantage compared to thermoset materials is that the last ones have a limited self-life at room temperature and should be stored under cold conditions before being shaped. Once shaped, a thermoset part must undergo a curing process which requires a great deal of energy and time, consequently resulting in a high production cost. On the contrary, thermoplastic composites are characterised by certain advantages related to their processing methods and recycling properties. In an attempt to provide an answer to the question: “are thermoplastic composites the future?” other key advantages and remaining challenges will be critically analysed in this study.