Syensqo composites demonstrate titanium replacement on Boeing MQ-25 Stingray

Boeing’s T1 demonstration aircraft. Source | Samantha Jenkins, identified by DVIDS

Syensqo  (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.), in partnership with Boeing (Arlington, Va., U.S.), has successfully demonstrated Syensqo’s Cycom 5250-4HT high service-temperature prepreg as a viable replacement for titanium on the MQ-25  Stingray  exhaust nozzle. The MQ-25, designed for the U.S. Navy, will be an operational carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling vehicle.

The plane’s wing and fuselage skins are composed of Syensqo’s Cycom prepregs and FM adhesive materials. Incorporation of Cycom 5250-4HT on the exhaust nozzle concept achieves additional lightweighting, enabling the aircraft to carry more fuel while reducing reliance on titanium, enhancing both operational efficiency and supply chain resilience.

Cycom 5250-4HT is a bismaleimide resin system with optimal thermal stability after thermal cycling. It is ideal for use in high-temperature areas near engines for defense, propulsion, space and launch and high-performance automotive applications. It comes in a variety of carbon, glass and quartz fiber product forms and is compatible with Syensqo’s high-temperature adhesives and surfacing product line.

“The successful technology demonstration, made possible through the close collaboration between Boeing and Syensqo engineering teams, has validated the feasibility of integrating Cycom 5250-4HT into a composite exhaust nozzle structure,” emphasizes Josh Dustin, senior manager with Boeing research and technology, structures technology. “This was a critical step in pushing forward the art of the possible with high-temperature composite applications.”