Sealing Materials that Support AI and Electrification
In recent months, aviation safety has been in the spotlight due to high-profile air travel incidents such as mechanical failures, system outages, in-flight fires, emergency landings, or tragic collisions. These recent chains of events have caused increased skepticism and public anxiety related to the safety and reliability of commercial aviation.
With passenger confidence shaken, the airline industry is facing increased demand for smarter materials, safer systems, and new technologies to reinvent air travel. Now is the time for aerospace manufacturers to rethink and redefine how aircrafts will be built, powered, and protected.
As the race for electrification, AI integration, and CO2 reduction takes flight, it’s important to remember the vital materials that will operate quietly in the background, making aircrafts lighter, safer, and more sustainable. Sealing and insulation solutions, often overlooked, play a fundamental role in ensuring passenger safety, comfort, air quality, and operational reliability.
Additionally, whether in a commercial airflight, a combat drone, or a next-generation fighter jet, materials operating behind the scenes must be specially engineered to resist fire, manage heat, block noise, and ensure structural integrity. The right material can be the difference between system stability and mission failure.
In this blog, let’s explore what the future of aviation may look like and how advanced Saint-Gobain® Tape Solution materials can help define the next era of air travel.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), every day there are about 400 departures per hour via global commercial flights. This accounts for a worldwide total of approximately 100,000 commercial flights that take to the skies each day. These numbers only account for scheduled flights. Additionally, ICAO predicts that, over the next 20 years, the need for air transportation will increase by 4.3% per year and “by mid-2030, no fewer than 200,000 flights per day are expected to take off and land around the world.”
Despite challenges such as safety concerns, rising operational costs, and the need to adopt more sustainable practices, these numbers prove the airline industry is not slowing down. Rather, it is being reimagined. However, this is not without its own set of challenges.
Currently, market leaders such as Boeing and Airbus are struggling to meet market demand due to supply chain disruptions, rising fuel costs, quality issues, or labor shortages. For instance, airlines are facing difficulties in acquiring new aircraft, and delays in the supply chain are disrupting their production schedules. This means that major players have been forced to extend the lifespan of older airplanes, resulting in greater safety concerns and higher maintenance costs. Additionally, fuel prices and economic uncertainty are challenging the airline industry with increased operational costs.
To top off this list of concerns, the aviation sector is being pushed to reduce its global CO2 emissions (which currently account for about 2.5%). This means they must ramp up the development of lighter, more aerodynamically efficient aircraft equipped with hybrid-electric propulsion systems. Some airlines are even exploring the use of hydrogen as an alternative power source.
With rapid advancement, the imaginative world of futuristic cartoons, blockbuster (or should I say Netflix) movies and comic books seems to be coming true right before our eyes.
While there is currently no completely electric or AI-powered commercial flight in the air today, eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aviation is rapidly advancing with major players like General Motors, Archer, BETA Technologies, and Joby Aviation, among others, conducting advanced flight testing and working with regulatory agencies for certification. Backed by billions in investment and partnerships with airlines and cities, eVTOLs are expected to begin limited passenger service as soon as 2026 or 2027, marking a transformative step towards more sustainable, short-range air transportation. Compared to traditional helicopters, eVTOLs promise to be quieter, cleaner, and more efficient, low-emission alternatives.
Now, what about autonomous or AI-powered flights?
This concept is also closer to reality than fiction. For example, the US Air Force has recently announced significant progress related to its VENOM program (Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operation Model- Autonomy Testbed). In these initiatives, six F-16 fighter jets were modified with advanced software, hardware and instrumentation to enable autonomous flight.
According to Maj. Trent McMullen, 40th Flight Test Squadron advanced capabilities division chief:
As the VENOM program’s first flight approaches, we are excited to test novel autonomous solutions. The strides we’ve witnessed in the simulation environment suggest VENOM will help advance aerial combat capabilities for future crewed and uncrewed platforms.”
As we can see, autonomous flights are no longer what dreams are made of. However, despite such progress, the commercial aviation sector is still approaching autonomy with caution and real-time AI control is not yet permitted. Currently, the industry is exploring AI integration for functions such as predictive maintenance, real-time logistics, automated flight scheduling and predictive analytics.
How can Tape Solutions take these innovative ideas to the next level?
Freeman Dyson, British-American physicist and mathematician once said, “Aviation is the branch of engineering that is least forgiving of mistakes.” With companies racing to introduce electric aircrafts and defense leaders testing AI-powered military jets, the right materials are more than a convenience, they are a necessity.
As electrification of flight enters the mainstream, electric motors, battery systems and onboard electronics need to be safely managed. Here, products such as the Saint-Gobain Norseal® PF Series can improve the performance and lifetime of a battery pack by keeping the battery cells under ideal pressure during charging and discharging. Additionally, TIM materials (Thermal Interface Materials), with properties like good dielectric strength, excellent electrical insulation, UL 94 V-0 rated flame-retardant performance, help to ensure electrical isolation between cells and cooling plates, evacuate excess heat, and provide an optimum balance between thermal conductivity and softness/hardness to tackle thermal management challenges.
For AI-powered platforms, TIM materials can enable efficient heat transfer, ensuring that electronics stay within safe operating limits, even under the extreme vibration and temperature fluctuations of flight.
Our advanced portfolio of EV material solutions has tested and proven performance that can help overcome battery-electric challenges on the ground or in the air.
Undoubtedly, the near future will see new entrants into aircraft manufacturing. Some like Boom Supersonic, are already taking the opportunity to fill the innovation gap with new aircrafts, designed to run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and be twice as fast as current commercial planes.
To stay competitive in terms of speed, efficiency, and performance, manufacturers will need to create lighter airplanes, and focus on technologies that will be safer, better for the environment, and designed to endure the toughest environmental conditions. From the sleek exterior design, to the advanced electronics, to the complex network of materials that close gaps, prevent leaks, insulate compartments, and dampen sounds, every detail matters.
How can Tape Solutions help?
As aircraft manufacturers push for lighter, more efficient, designs and stricter environmental standards, advanced sealing solutions are more critical than ever. High-performance materials like Norseal Silicone Rubber offer exceptional performance in gasketing, thermal insulation and soundproofing applications. For cabin components where passenger safety is paramount, these materials are ideal because they can withstand extreme heat without propagating flames, produce minimal smoke, and release fewer harmful gases.
Beyond safety, aircraft interior seals must perform under demanding environmental conditions. Silicone materials are highly effective thermal barriers and environmental seals, forming protective gaskets that block air, water, dust, ozone, and ultraviolet rays. At the same time, they offer acoustic insulation properties, reducing cabin noise and improving passenger experience.
Sealing solutions are also lightweight, which helps reduce the overall structural mass of an aircraft, contributing to lower fuel consumption, extended range, and overall reduction of CO2.
These materials help provide interior comfort to passengers, enhance aircraft safety, enable lighter and more sustainable travel and are essential to the overall performance and lifecycle of the modern-day aircraft.
Whether it's sealing AI controlled systems, insulating electrical components, or securing cabin interiors, advanced tape solutions can do more than just hold things together. They protect, insulate, and enable new innovations in aerospace.
As you push the boundaries of what’s possible in aerospace, connect with our team to learn more about our portfolio of silicone foams, specialty tapes, and engineered films, designed to meet the unique challenges of modern-day aviation. Learn how Tape Solutions can help support OEMs and MRO teams in the mission to make innovative aircrafts ready for the future with safety, efficiency, and comfort top of mind.