Joint venture focuses on lightweight composite materials for automotive and aviation industries

of Hönigsberg have established the LiteCon Advanced Composite Products joint venture whose aim is to mass-produce fiber-reinforced composite components for the automotive and aviation industries. Evonik is supporting the new company with its materials development expertise-particularly with its experience in developing Rohacell polymethacrylimide (PMI)-based structural foam. SECAR brings capabilities in mass producing lightweight parts to the joint venture.

The joint venture is headquartered in Hönigsberg. Evonik and SECAR manage the company jointly, with Evonik retaining a 49% stake and SECAR 51%. Arnim Kraatz of Evonik Industries AG and Karl Heinz Semlitsch of SECAR Technologie GmbH are the company's managing directors.

"For years now, our products have supported efforts within the automotive and aviation industries to move toward lightweight construction, and LiteCon is the next step in our partnership with those industries," says Gregor Hetzke, president of Evonik's Performance Polymers Business Unit. "LiteCon unites our polymer expertise with SECAR's prowess in composite development and manufacturing, so that our customers can use these synergies to their greatest possible advantage."

Evonik's Rohacell structural foam is used in sandwich construction applications in airplanes and sports cars, wind turbine rotor blades, X-ray tables for medical applications, and in athletic and recreational equipment. It can be used at temperatures of up to 220°C.

SECAR is an established provider of carbon-fiber reinforced composites for the automotive, aviation, and medical industries.