As aircraft interior designers seek to achieve modern, light-filled cabin environments, they require a range of transparent materials that meet the industry’s vertical burn standards and are amenable to different processing technologies. SABIC introduced its LEXAN XHR2000 sheet material for aircraft interiors last year, including two new variations that come in one- or two-sided hard coat options, called CLEAR LEXAN XHR2HC1 and LEXAN XHR2HC2 sheets. These additions to the product line provide design engineers with pre-coated materials that—without the need for secondary processing—meet the highest industry standards for flame resistance.
SABIC’s CLEAR LEXAN XHR Sheet Series has been named the Crystal Cabin Award Winner in the category of Materials & Components. The company’s lightweight engineered thermoplastic material offers the highest level of light transmission available in an OSU-compliant sheet material today which meets Ohio State University 65/65 heat release and typical industry flame, smoke, toxicity (FST) requirements (FAR25.853, BSS7239, ABD0031).
“SABIC is honored to be the Crystal Cabin Award winner with CLEAR LEXAN XHR sheet material that was specifically developed in response to the airline industry’s ongoing desire for a transparent material that would help to differentiate cabin interior designs. The industry’s response to the introduction of our clear LEXAN XHR2000 sheet was so positive, we created two additional coated variations to help our customers more rapidly advance their designs into applications without requiring secondary operations,” Kim Choate, Director of Mass Transportation for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business, said.
With 80% light transmission, the innovative CLEAR LEXAN XHR2000 sheet is both durable and thermoformable, while complying with strict airline standards for fire, smoke and toxicity. With introduction of coated CLEAR LEXAN XHR2HC1 and LEXAN XHR2HC2 sheets, SABIC offers grades that offer even more robust vertical burn performance, reaching the industry’s highest standards without the need for secondary processing to apply a coating, laminate or film.
These coated sheets meet the industry’s robust 60 second vertical burn performance, and the same smoke density OSU 65/65 heat release standards and OEM toxicity requirements as the uncoated LEXAN XHR2000 sheet. In addition, they provide chemical resistance and scratch resistance properties.
LEXAN XHR2HC1 sheet, coated on one side, is a candidate for components that need to be laminated or printed, such as window reveals, partitions, refrigeration equipment, luxury interiors, walls, security partitions, oversized windows, self-service refreshment stations, instrument displays, divider panels and mirrors. LEXAN XHR2HC2 sheet, coated on two sides, is a candidate for many of the same applications, offering scratch, chemical and graffiti resistance on both sides.
