Low-altitude aircraft

Plastic materials for consumer and industrial drones

Row 1 Arms (incl. folding arms)
- GRN-PA6-C310Carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)
Row 2 Body shell / center frame
- GRN-PA6-C310Carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)
- GRN-PCA-W310Weather-resistant PC/ABS
Row 3 Propellers
- GRN-PA6-C310Carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)
Row 4 Landing gear / skids
- GRN-PA6-E510Flame-retardant glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 (GFRPA)
Row 5 Gimbal parts, camera housing
Row 6 Battery housing / battery bay
- GRN-PCA-N510Halogen-free flame-retardant PC/ABS
Row 7 Motor mounts
- GRN-PA6-C510Flame-retardant carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)
Row 8 Antenna covers / RTK and video-link antenna housings
- GRN-PCAS-W310Weather-resistant PC/ASA
Row 9 Connectors, ESC and power-board brackets
- GRN-PA66-E510Halogen-free flame-retardant glass-fiber-reinforced PA66

Pain points and material advice

Lightweighting and stiffness
Pain point
The heavier the arms and body, the shorter the flight time. Arms that are not stiff enough cause vibration, which affects flight control and imaging.
Advice
Screen materials by specific stiffness. Carbon-fiber-reinforced PA has about half the density of aluminum alloy. Fiber orientation should follow the main load direction of the arm. Validate folding joints for fatigue and drop.
Candidates
Battery bay safety
Pain point
Drone batteries have high energy density and high charge and discharge currents. Battery housings and areas around the battery compartment need flame retardancy and must not produce drips when burning.
Advice
Use halogen-free flame-retardant PC/ABS or PC for battery housings and test UL 94 at the actual wall thickness. Snap fits on plug-in batteries must balance toughness and wear resistance. For models used in winter, run low-temperature impact tests.
Candidates
Signal transmission
Pain point
Video transmission, remote control, GNSS and RTK antennas all need signals to pass freely. Carbon fiber materials block signals.
Advice
Use non-conductive materials such as PC, ASA or PC/ASA for radomes and around antennas. Avoid metallic-effect pigments. Measure dielectric constant and loss where needed.
Candidates
Outdoor exposure: cold, UV and chemicals
Pain point
Drones work at altitude and in winter, at low temperatures. Long sun exposure fades housings and makes them brittle. Crop protection drones also come into contact with pesticides.
Advice
Choose weather-resistant grades for appearance parts and test impact and color difference after xenon-arc weathering. Test crop protection parts for chemical resistance with the actual agents. Set the low-temperature impact temperature by the flight environment.
Candidates
Fast development, many models
Pain point
Drone models change fast, and industrial models come in small batches with much customization.
Advice
At the prototype stage, 3D print arms and brackets in carbon fiber PA filament for assembly and flight validation. For mass production, switch to injection molding with the equivalent pellets. Printed part properties are directional, so validate again with molded parts before mass production.
Candidates
- Filament
- GRN3D-PA6-C20carbon fiber content to be verified by GREENPOLYMER
- GRN3D-PA12-C10
- Production pellets
- GRN-PA6-C310
- GRN-PA6-C510

Material selection for airframes, arms, propellers, landing gear, gimbals, battery bays, motor mounts, antenna covers, connectors and payload pods in consumer, industrial, agricultural and cargo drones.

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Materials in the quadcopter drone

Example grade / typical values — to be corrected by GREENPOLYMER Typical values. Refer to the actual TDS.

GRN-PA6-C310

Carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2 · dry

180–250 MPa
Flexural modulusISO 178

13–20 GPa
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

200–215 °C
Used for
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Features
Light, stiff, fatigue-resistant
Typical values
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C; dry

8–14 kJ/m²
DensityISO 1183

1.20–1.28 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
80 °C, 4–6 h (desiccant dryer); moisture content 0.05–0.2 % recommended
Melt temperature
260–290 °C
Mold temperature
80–100 °C; upper end for a better surface
Why this material
Arms (incl. folding arms)Light and stiff; folding structures can be molded in one shot
Body shell / center frameCarries the battery, flight controller and gimbal; high appearance requirements for consumer models
PropellersMust stay stiff and keep its shape at high speed; injection molding for volume production
Gimbal parts, camera housingLight and stiff to reduce shake; good appearance
GRN-PCA-W310

Weather-resistant PC/ABS

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

50–58 MPa
Weathering (color difference)ISO 4892-2 · Xenon-arc 1000 h; design target

ΔE ≤ 3
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

35–55 kJ/m²
Used for
- Body shell / center frame
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Features
UV-resistant, color-stable outdoors
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

95–110 °C
DensityISO 1183

1.12–1.16 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
100–110 °C, 3–4 h
Melt temperature
250–280 °C
Mold temperature
60–90 °C
Why this material
Carries the battery, flight controller and gimbal; high appearance requirements for consumer models
GRN-PA6-E510

Flame-retardant glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 (GFRPA)

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2 · dry

130–160 MPa
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

V-0
Flexural modulusISO 178

8–10 GPa
Used for
- Landing gear / skids
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Features
Stiff, fatigue-resistant, wear-resistant
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

190–205 °C
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C; dry

8–12 kJ/m²
DensityISO 1183

1.40–1.50 g/cm³
Processing
Drying
80 °C, 4–6 h (desiccant dryer); moisture content 0.05–0.2 % recommended
Melt temperature
260–290 °C
Mold temperature
80–100 °C; upper end for a better surface
Why this material
Takeoff and landing impacts; light weight; doubles as an antenna mount on some models
GRN-PC-L110

Transparent PC

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

60–68 MPa
Light transmittanceISO 13468-1 · 3 mm; design target

≥ 88 %
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

60–80 kJ/m²
Used for
- Gimbal parts, camera housing
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Features
Light-transmitting, impact-resistant
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

125–135 °C
DensityISO 1183

1.19–1.21 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
120 °C, 3–4 h; moisture content ≤ 0.02 % recommended
Melt temperature
280–310 °C; for flame-retardant grades keep within the TDS upper limit
Mold temperature
80–110 °C
Why this material
Light and stiff to reduce shake; good appearance
GRN-PC-L120

IR-transmissive black PC

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

60–68 MPa
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

60–80 kJ/m²
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

125–135 °C
Used for
- Gimbal parts, camera housing
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Features
Black, IR-transmissive
Typical values
DensityISO 1183

1.19–1.21 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
120 °C, 3–4 h; moisture content ≤ 0.02 % recommended
Melt temperature
280–310 °C; for flame-retardant grades keep within the TDS upper limit
Mold temperature
80–110 °C
Why this material
Light and stiff to reduce shake; good appearance
GRN-PCA-H320

Low-temperature high-impact PC/ABS

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

48–56 MPa
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C; −30 °C: 25–40 kJ/m²

45–65 kJ/m²
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

95–110 °C
Used for
- Gimbal parts, camera housing
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Features
Good appearance, low-temperature toughness
Typical values
DensityISO 1183

1.12–1.15 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
100–110 °C, 3–4 h
Melt temperature
250–280 °C
Mold temperature
60–90 °C
Why this material
Light and stiff to reduce shake; good appearance
GRN-PCA-N510

Halogen-free flame-retardant PC/ABS

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

55–65 MPa
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

V-0
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

10–30 kJ/m²
Used for
- Battery housing / battery bay
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Features
Halogen-free, flame-retardant
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

80–95 °C
DensityISO 1183

1.17–1.20 g/cm³
Processing
Drying
100–110 °C, 3–4 h
Melt temperature
250–280 °C
Mold temperature
60–90 °C
Why this material
Flame retardancy around the lithium battery; plug-in batteries must be wear and impact resistant
GRN-PA6-C510

Flame-retardant carbon-fiber-reinforced PA6 (CFRPA)

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2 · dry

160–220 MPa
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

V-0
Flexural modulusISO 178

12–18 GPa
Used for
- Motor mounts
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Features
Stiff, heat-resistant, creep-resistant
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

190–210 °C
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C; dry

6–10 kJ/m²
DensityISO 1183

1.25–1.35 g/cm³
Processing
Drying
80 °C, 4–6 h (desiccant dryer); moisture content 0.05–0.2 % recommended
Melt temperature
260–290 °C
Mold temperature
80–100 °C; upper end for a better surface
Why this material
Motor vibration and heat; needs stiffness and heat resistance
GRN-PCAS-W310

Weather-resistant PC/ASA

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

50–60 MPa
Weathering (color difference)ISO 4892-2 · Xenon-arc 1000 h; design target

ΔE ≤ 3
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

30–50 kJ/m²
Used for
- Antenna covers / RTK and video-link antenna housings
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Features
Weather-resistant, impact-resistant, low loss
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

95–110 °C
DensityISO 1183

1.14–1.17 g/cm³
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

HB
Processing
Drying
80–85 °C, 2–4 h
Melt temperature
230–260 °C
Mold temperature
50–80 °C
Why this material
Must let wireless signals through; outdoor weather resistance
GRN-PA66-E510

Halogen-free flame-retardant glass-fiber-reinforced PA66

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2 · dry

140–170 MPa
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

V-0
Flexural modulusISO 178

8–10 GPa
Used for
- Connectors, ESC and power-board brackets
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Features
Heat-resistant, dimensionally accurate, halogen-free flame-retardant
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

230–250 °C
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C; dry

8–12 kJ/m²
DensityISO 1183

1.45–1.55 g/cm³
Processing
Drying
80 °C, 4–6 h (desiccant dryer); moisture content 0.05–0.2 % recommended
Melt temperature
280–300 °C; do not exceed the TDS upper limit for flame-retardant grades
Mold temperature
80–110 °C
Why this material
High current; plugging and unplugging; close to hot components
GRN-PP-E510

Flame-retardant glass-fiber-reinforced PP

Tensile strengthISO 527-1/-2

50–70 MPa
Flammability ratingUL 94 · 1.5 mm; design target, subject to test report

V-0
Flexural modulusISO 178

4–6 GPa
Used for
- Spray tank and spray parts (agricultural)
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Features
Chemical-resistant, stiff
Typical values
Heat deflection temperatureISO 75-1/-2 · 1.80 MPa

120–145 °C
Charpy notched impact strengthISO 179-1/1eA · 23 °C

5–9 kJ/m²
DensityISO 1183

1.15–1.30 g/cm³
Processing
Drying
Usually not needed; if damp, 80 °C, 1–2 h
Melt temperature
190–220 °C (not too high for flame-retardant grades)
Mold temperature
30–60 °C
Why this material
Contact with pesticides and water; needs chemical and impact resistance

Industry overview and trends

Drone numbers are growing fast
By the end of 2025, about 3.287 million drones were registered in China, up about 51 % on the previous year. In 2025 drones flew about 45.3 million hours in total, up about 70 %.
Industrial drones make up the larger share
In 2025, China's civil drone output was worth about RMB 176.1 billion, up about 20 %. Industrial drones accounted for about RMB 125.9 billion and consumer drones about RMB 50.2 billion. Inspection, surveying, crop protection, emergency response and logistics are the main uses.
The low-altitude economy is scaling up
Low-altitude flight service stations, vertiports and routes are being built across the country. Logistics delivery, urban inspection, tourism and other uses are moving from pilots to regular operation. Import and export trade in unmanned aircraft was about RMB 23.3 billion, up about 44 %.
Safety requirements are more specific
Safety requirements for civil unmanned aircraft systems are in force as a mandatory national standard (GB 42590-2023, fully applied from 2024-06-01). It sets requirements on structural strength, batteries, electromagnetic compatibility, remote identification and more. The standard applies to the complete aircraft, and materials must leave the aircraft margin to pass its tests.
Lightweighting and reliability at the same time
Every bit of weight saved on the airframe helps flight time and payload. Industrial drones fly longer and carry heavier loads, and must also withstand low temperatures, UV, pesticides and humidity. Using carbon- and glass-fiber-reinforced plastics for arms and body frames is typical industry practice.

Drones flew about 45.3 million hours in 2025 (about +70 %).
In 2025, the output value of civil drones in China was about RMB 176.1 billion (about +20 %): industrial drones about RMB 125.9 billion, consumer drones about RMB 50.2 billion.
The low-altitude economy is scaling up: flight service stations, landing sites and routes are being built. Drone import and export trade reached about RMB 23.3 billion (about +44 %).
GB 42590-2023, the mandatory national safety standard for civil unmanned aircraft systems, has been fully in force since 2024-06-01.

Part-to-material guide

Full list · 13 parts

This table shows common industry practice for first-round selection. The final choice depends on the applicable standards, load analysis and validation results (to be verified by GREENPOLYMER).