U.S. Navy contract to advance Cambium C/C composites for hypersonics

Cambium (El Segundo, Calif., U.S.), a company developing and producing advanced composites for defense and dual-use applications, is bringing its hypersonics-ready product portfolio to the next level through a contract with the U.S. Navy. Specifically, the company is optimizing the processing and production of its phthalonitrile material systems to ensure that they continue to deliver on their potential to reduce the cost and time needed to produce hypersonics-ready carbon/carbon (C/C) composite parts by around 70%.  

Cambium uses an AI-driven material discovery and development platform to rapidly and cost-effectively produce hypersonic-ready products through a domestic supply chain. Its phthalonitrile material systems include resins, prepreg and film adhesive that are capable of withstanding extreme environments in a range of applications from aerospace to hypersonics.

Cambium’s resins, for example, feature high service temperatures and thermal stability, reportedly outperforming traditional matrices; typical glass transition temperatures of the company’s phthalonitrile matrices exceed 400°C (750°F). In addition, phthalonitrile products offer a higher-performing alternative to traditional polyimides. Cambium’s phthalonitrile resins, prepregs and adhesives are room temperature stable, eliminating the need for cold storage of traditional composite materials.

Cambium is working with a sense of urgency to optimize these systems in its contract with the Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), to create a secure domestic supply for hypersonics by significantly reducing lead times and cost roadblocks. Importantly, Cambium says its phthalonitrile-based high-temperature composite materials address key adoption issues in processing and production that were thought to be insurmountable, including developing C/C composite parts that are capable of surviving and performing in the extreme conditions that structures encounter at hypersonic speeds up to Mach 20.

“The U.S. must establish a secure, scalable supply chain for advanced materials to support hypersonic systems at speed and scale,” says Simon Waddington, Cambium’s co-founder and CEO. “Cambium is tackling this challenge head-on, developing next-generation thermal protection systems that are not only high-performing but also cost-effective and domestically manufactured. This Navy contract is another step forward in our mission to deliver materials solutions that strengthen national security and technological leadership.”