PPG announces revolutionary secondary fuel vapor barrier for transport aircraft

A new sprayable secondary fuel vapor barrier is in development by PPG that uses ultraviolet (UV) radiation to cure in seconds instead of 24 hours or more and can greatly reduce production cycle times for commercial aircraft manufacturers and subcontractors. The revolutionary PPG eco-friendly sealant uses PERMAPOL polymer technology and is expected to be commercialized in early 2018. Aviation certification authorities require application of secondary fuel vapor barriers to the exterior of center wing box fuel tanks for all transport aircraft having them. These sealants are elastomeric coatings that provide a redundant level of sealing should the internal primary integral fuel tank seals ever be compromised. They are intended to protect, or contain, any vapor and fuel from leaking into the cargo bay and contacting electrical cables, which could have catastrophic consequences.
Bill Keller, PPG global market segment manager for aerospace sealants, said the new PPG secondary fuel vapor barrier offers the greatly reduced production cycle times required to build planes faster and with greater efficiency.
“I have met with aircraft manufacturers from around the world who said having a rapid-curing, easy-to-use product was an absolute priority,” Keller said. “A UV-cured, sprayable secondary fuel vapor barrier sealant based on Permapol technology by PPG will be a perfect fit for these customers.”