Mitsubishi Rayon’s Carbon Fiber to Be Used in Airbus A320neo Engine Components

Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, President: Hitoshi Ochi, hereafter referred to as “MRC”) is pleased to announce that its polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based intermediate carbon fiber was selected for use in the fan section components of PW1100G-JM, a new-type jet engine for the new Airbus A320neo aircraft. This is the first time in the world that carbon fiber is used in the Structural Guide Vanes (SGVs) of a commercial aircraft engine.
 
The PW1100G-JM engine, which was developed for use in civil aviation jointly by Pratt & Whitney (a US company), MTU Aero Engines AG (a German company), and Japanese Aero Engines Corporation (JAEC), a Japanese general incorporated foundation, delivers low fuel consumption, low emission, and low noise. IHI Corporation, a key member of JAEC, selected MRC’s intermediate carbon fiber for use in the engine and successfully developed the world’s first composite material-based SGV, which is to be installed inside the fan that intakes air from the front area of the engine. This replacement of conventional titanium and aluminum with lightweight but strong carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) made a significant contribution to the development of a less-weighted, more energy-efficient engine, which features a large fan diameter while maintaining a high level of strength that can withstand bird strikes. We strive to align our carbon fiber production capacity with the production of the PW1100G-JM engine, which is planned to enter a full-scale phase immediately, by making use of our existing production facilities and capacities at the Toyohashi Production Center.
 
With the emergence of increasingly large-sized aircraft engines and resultant higher demand for lighter-weight materials, CFRP composite materials will find more applications in the future. We are further committed to expanding the scope of carbon fiber applications to aircraft engines, taking this opportunity of our product being selected for the PW1100G-JM engine.