The value of composites in aeroengines

The January issue of CompositesWorld features a Market Outlook by Chris Red that assesses current and future use of composite materials in large aircraft engines

His report is full of data that characterizes where and how composites are used, and how this important market is expected grow (rapidly) over the next decade.

CW started looking at the engines in the market, and coming into the market, and wondered what the total composites value is for each major engine platform. Red helped us pull the data together and the below data are the result.

There are three important variables to consider: Composites fraction per engine, engine size (as defined by thrust) and production volume. The engine with the largest composites fraction is Pratt & Whitney's PurePower, at 35%. The engine with the largest composites value is the GE Aviation's GE9X, at $972,000. However, the engine with the largest total composites value 2005-2023 is the CFM Inernational LEAP1, at $5.7 billion.

In any case, it's clear that composites are enjoying significant application in large aircraft engines manufactured by each of the big four OEMs.