Avibras Indústria Aeroespacial is going to invest over R$72 million in its facility in Lorena (SP) for the construction of the new factory that will produce PBHT (Hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene), a major raw material in the production of solid fuel. This capacity is of the great importance for the rockets of the new Brazilian Space Program.

This is a strategic investment decision of the company for Brazil and for Avibras as it is the key to recover the national sovereignty in the production of solid fuel, essential for aerospace activities.

The construction of the new factory is responsibility of the company, which rely on its own resources and a 100% refundable financial of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development  (BNDES) to meet the investment demand.

The new factory will represent an expressive increase of direct and indirect employment in the region.

With the beginning of the operations scheduled for the end of 2019, the factory will be capable of producing up to 2000 tons of PBHT a year. The PBHT production reinforces the chemical industrial talent of the Lorena facility, which already produces PCA (Ammonium Perchlorate), another essential element for the production of solid fuel.

The control over the production process, enabled by the construction of the PBHT factory, will reestablish the company self-sufficiency in production and protect the national interest from embargoes since this raw material is produced by few countries in the world and none of them in the south hemisphere.

Besides the applications in the Defence and Aerospace areas, PBHT has many other purposes in the civil market such as insulating, sealing adhesive, waterproofing material, encapsulation, coating, film, etc.

Pioneering and expertise in Space Area

Avibras has participated on  the Brazilian Space Program since 1960, when the first rockets Sonda I and Sonda II were manufactured. Up to the moment, Avibras has manufactured over 500 training rockets to be launched from both CLA (Alcântara Training Center), in Maranhão and CLBI (Hell barrier training Center).

Currently, Avibras takes part of the development and manufacturing of the S50 rockets engines of VLM-1 (Microsatellite Launcher Vehicle), hired by FUNCATE (Foundation for Science, Technology and Space Applications) and IAE (Institute of Aeronautics and Space) in the scope of the National Program of Space Activities of the Brazilian Space Agency.

With expertise in the development of national technological solutions in the aerospace area, which originated with its pioneering participation in the beginning of the Brazilian Space Program, Avibras is the only 100% Brazilian private company of its field with expertise  to integrate launchers for the Brazilian Space Program.

A stimulation in the market of small satellites is perceptible after the rising of the international demand, and the CLA has a suitable infrastructure for launching small artefacts for actuation in low orbits.