Nippon Carbon Company, GE and Safran are creating a joint venture to manufacture and sell silicon carbide (SiC) continuous fiber or Nicalon, an important material for CFM’s next-generation of high performance aircraft engine components. Closure of the joint venture is subject to regulatory approvals. The new joint venture, NGS Advanced Fibers, will be headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo with facilities in Toyama-shi, Toyama in Japan. Nippon Carbon Company will have a 50% share in the new joint venture and GE and Safran with a 25% share each.
The three companies anticipate their demand for ceramic matrix composite materials (CMCs) to increase tenfold over the next decade. The newest engine in development for CFM International, a 50/50 joint venture between GE and Snecma (part of Safran group), is the LEAP engine for the next-generation of narrow-body aircraft, including the COMAC C919, Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The LEAP engine will incorporate CMC material in its engine components, and demand has soared to more than 3,300 LEAP engines on order for the three airframes it will power. GE and Safran continue to investigate CMCs for additional engine applications.
