A high-temperature resin, designed to create composites ideal for advanced aerospace vehicles, has been named the 2008 Nasa Commercial Invention of the Year.

The product known as PETI-330 has the strength and high-temperature properties ideal for large structures exposed to hot temperatures.

It is the first commercially available, off-the-shelf, high-temperature resin that has processing characteristics useful for resin infusion and resin transfer moulding manufacturing processes.

PETI-330 and the vacuum process used in its manufacture provide a combination of weight reduction and manufacturing cost savings to the aerospace industry.

The material is presently being used in the development of advanced fabrication technology under Nasa’s aeronautics supersonics programme.

The NASA Invention of the Year Award is chosen by NASA’s general counsel assisted by NASA’s Inventions and Contributions Board.