China's plane maker COMAC, Boeing to jointly develop sustainable aircraft cabin materials

The first C919 large passenger aircraft to be delivered takes off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, May 14, 2022. (Xinhua)

Chinese plane maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) and Boeing announced on Monday that the two companies are collaborating on a sustainability project to develop and test ramie fiber-reinforced polylactic acid composite (RRP) used in manufacturing civil aircraft cabin components, reported Chinanews.com Monday.

Unlike traditional plastics used to make civil aircraft cabin parts, the new RRP material has lighter weights, stronger strength, and is 100 percent degradable.

The research and development (R&D) team of the project, the COMAC-Boeing Technology Center has built a small batch of RRP aircraft seat tables that have passed technical tests such as flammability and overload testing, and have been evaluated in a real-world flight environment for the 2022 Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program.

"The initial results of the project are very encouraging and the RRP material has the potential to enhance the sustainability of many cabin components," said Li Qiang, vice president of Boeing (China) Research and Technology Department.

Established in 2021, the COMAC-Boeing Technology Center focuses on sustainable development areas including green aviation, air traffic management, cabin environment, industry standards and operational safety.

In addition, COMAC and Boeing signed an agreement to extend the center's cooperation for another five years during the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held on November 8 in the port city of Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province.