Last updated on March 18, 2017
The machine which is flying in the air requires tremendous thrust and power to launch and sustain the flight, that may be an aeroplane or a space shuttle. Any plane or flying machine engine needs a special alloy and that spacial alloy functions properly at high temperature which can be as much as over thousand degree Celsius. The body of flying machine needs lightweight and yet strong material.
So, to fulfill these requirement, one needs to develop new aerospace alloy which is superior in heat, corrosion resistance, good tensile properties, creep resistance, fatigue strength, etc. It also needs to be lightweight, featuring good mechanical property that does not change with temperature variation.
So due to the huge demand, there are many super alloys that are invented which is according to the demand of the aerospace machines. Some such aerospace alloys are:
Aluminum: Aluminum is soft and lightweight with high corrosive strength. It is good conductor of heat and electricity and it also withstands high temperature. It is mainly used in manufacturing the aerospace component like space booster and fuel tank . Aluminum is used in hot section, where the temperature is around thousand of Celsius and much more. So because it has the higher fracture toughness and is resistant to stress and corrosion cracking.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is mostly used for making jet engine parts, structures and many other aerospace components. Stainless steel has resistant to rust and it easily mixes with other materials and then its property is changed. For example, Chromium is added to make it resistant to rust. The addition of nickel enhances corrosion resistance properties in case of aggressive usage.
Aircraft alloy steel: Alloy steel is the important alloy of the aerospace industry. Basically, this alloy is better for heat treatment compared to others. High toughness of this alloy makes it different from others. Due to its toughness, it is used in aircraft for manufacturing leading gears and other parts. Its strength can be increased up to a certain extent by heat treatment. It is a low alloy material and best for welding purpose and widely used in the resistance welding process. It has great features and hence it is best for machining process such as annealing and normalizing.
Due to the improvement of technology, there are many aerospace alloys that have been discovered, like aluminum, stainless steel; aircraft alloy steel, super alloy, copper/brass/bronze, titanium, tungsten, etc.
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