“The new product offering ensures that American sources of high-performance composite products are maintained, broadening the applications for high modulus carbon fibre, and maintaining performance superiority in various DOD systems,” said Monica Rommel, CEO, Specialty Materials. “The selection of this new product highlights the importance of maintaining a secure source of materials for next-generation technology, and ensuring the United States keeps a technical edge above competitors and near-peer threats.”

Under a Small Business Innovation Research program contract from the Defense Logistics Agency, Specialty Materials developed the innovative Hy-Bor® hybridised unidirectional prepreg material by infusing boron fibre with HexTow® HM63 carbon fibre produced by Hexcel. According to DLA, the new high modulus, high compression material resulted in a >2X improvement in 0? compression strength, open-hole compression strength and flexural strength when compared to a baseline carbon fibre-only composite of similar fibre volume.

DLA has now awarded Specialty Materials a Phase II SBIR contract to advance High Modulus Hy-Bor® composite technology. The new funding will drive optimisation of this prepreg material, focusing on delivering maximum performance at minimum cost. Key developments will enhance its compatibility with both manual layup and automated fibre placement manufacturing processes.

Hexcel and Specialty Materials will showcase this new material combining each company’s technology at SAMPE 2025, North America’s premier advanced material and process engineering conference and exhibition, held May 19-22, in Indianapolis, Indiana.