Titanium for aerospace

Purpose of titanium application on aerospace:

+Weight saving

+Heat resistance

+Resistance to embrittlement at low temperature

+High corrosion resistance

+Low-thermal expansion

In the field of aerospace, titanium has been applied for many years. Commercially pure titanium and titanium alloy as represented by Ti-6Al-4V are mainly used for the airframe and the engine parts respectively. However, in recent years, numerous new alloys have been developed to enhance titanium’s strength, toughness and high temperature performance. The demand expansion of titanium has been expected due to realize low fuel consumption of aircraft. On the other hand, various qualifications and high quality management are required in order to entry in the aerospace industry. Today, the aerospace industry is the number one customer for titanium alloy products, due to its combination of high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent mechanical properties, lower thermal expansion, high corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance without creeping.

The use of titanium alloys in the aerospace sector will be highlighted including airframe, engine, helicopter, and space applications.

Airframe

Forged wing structures, cockpit window frame, engine nacelle, body longeron, tail cone, land gear part, track beam, structural parts, fire wall, fastener, spring and hydraulic tubing

Jet engines

Fan blades, compressor blades, shafts, disc, hubs and inlet guide vanes

Space

Rocket engine shell, artificial satellite shell, fuel tank sheathing, pressure vessel, spacecraft cabin skin and structural frameworks, land gear, motor nozzle for missile

Helicopter

Turbo shaft engine, window surrounds, rotor hubs, core of blade, tail rotor blades, root fittings, stabilizer components, rotor hubs, structural components, fasteners, landing gear

Tungsten heavy alloy for aerospace

Tungsten heavy alloy is ideal for producing balance weights and ballast for use on an aircraft. This is due to its extremely high density, which allows for the smallest possible weights to be used. This attribute can be particularly valuable in situations where a mass has to be contained within a confined space, and can ultimately reduce the overall amount of weight used as it can be positioned more favorably.

Tantalum for aerospace

Tantalum based alloy and other superalloys which has tantalum as alloy additive are typically used as a high temperature structural materials and corrosion resistant materials for the production of aerospace plane, rockets, submarines, and other engine parts, such as the combustion chamber, combustion duct, turbo pumps, rocket nozzle accelerator, spacecraft propulsion and augmentor nozzle valves.

Niobium for aerospace

Aerospace industry is the main application field of high-purity niobium, mainly used in the production of rocket engine components and heat-resistant spacecraft. Heat resisting alloys of niobium and its alloy exhibit good thermal transfer properties and mechanical performance, are widely used in the manufacture of aircraft engine parts and gas turbine blades. In theUnited Statesalmost all fighter jets hot parts of the engine are used niobium alloys.

Zirconium for aerospace

Zirconium is used in the aeronautic and space industries while compounds containing yttria and zirconia are used to make gas turbines, vanes and blades, and combustors.