DuPont™ Kapton® and Orcon Insulating the Aerospace Industry

Challenge

Fire resistant material for use in aircraft insulation to improve fire safety.

Solution

Aircraft thermal/acoustic insulation systems using reinforced Kapton® polyimide covering film.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing new flammability test requirements for aircraft insulation that will result in increased fire safety on aircrafts. Special attention is paid to the prevention of onboard fire propagation and fuselage burnthrough protection in the event of a post-crash fuel fire.

DuPont manufactures Kapton® polyimide film, a high temperature resistant material which does not propagate flame and is not a fire fuel. It does not ignite spontaneously at extreme temperatures. In the FAA’s opinion, Kapton® polymide films "can provide a substantial increase in fire resistance" over some other insulation covering materials used by the aviation industry.

Orcon Corporation manufactures a reinforced Kapton® polyimide covering film (Orcofilm® KN-201 and KN-202), which is the material of choice for improving fire resistance of aircraft insulation. To provide fuselage burnthrough protection, a combination of reinforced Kapton® polyimide covering film and new fire-blocking materials, (Curlon® Orcobloc product) can be used. This combination provides burnthrough protection for as long as 10 minutes—well over the 4 minute requirement proposed by the FAA.

Reasons for choosing Kapton®

• Extreme temperature resistance
• Lightweight
• Strength/durability
• Non-flammable
• Can help stop in-flight fires

Orcon Corporation is one of the leading suppliers of the aerospace insulation systems for both aircraft manufacturers and airlines. A typical aircraft insulation system component--an insulation "blanket"—consists of one or more layers of fiberglass or other insulation material covered from both sides with a reinforced covering film. Aircraft insulation systems must meet rigid industry requirements regarding fire resistance, durability and weight.

The ability of Kapton® polyimide film to withstand both high and low temperature extremes makes it an excellent material for use in Orcon’s space satellite products. Multilayer Insulation (MLI) blankets that insulate the spacecraft against the heat of direct sunlight and solar radiation consist mainly of numerous layers of reinforced aluminized Kapton®.

Orcon manufactures a wide array of Orcofilm® and Orcotape® lightweight reinforced insulation covering films and tapes for use in aircraft insulation and spacecraft MLI blankets. Orcofilm® and Orcotape® products, which include Kapton® polyimide covering films and tapes, meet major OEM specifications and FAA flammability requirements.

Today the company continues to develop new materials for use in aerospace insulation systems to bring aircraft safety to the next level and provide thermal protection to critical space payloads.

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Caution: Do not use in medical applications involving permanent implantation in the human body. For other medical applications, see "DuPont Medical Caution Statement", H-50102.