Category: Introduction To Aerospace Materials

Selecting the best material for an aircraft structure or engine component is an important task for the aerospace engineer. The success or failure of any new aircraft is partly dependent on using the most suitable materials. The cost, flight performance, safety, operating life and environmental impact from engine emissions of aircraft is dependent on the…

An extraordinarily large number and wide variety of materials are available to aerospace engineers to construct aircraft. It is estimated that there are more than 120 000 materials from which an aerospace engineer can choose the materials for the airframe and engine. This includes many types of metals (over 65 000), plastics (over 15 000),…

Advanced materials have an important role in improving the structural efficiency of aircraft and the propulsion efficiency of jet engines. The properties of materials that are important to aircraft include their physical properties (e.g. density), mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness, strength and toughness), chemical properties (e.g. corrosion and oxidation), thermal properties (e.g. heat capacity, thermal conductivity)…

The importance of materials science and technology in aerospace engineering cannot be overstated. The materials used in airframe structures and in jet engine components are critical to the successful design, construction, certification, operation and maintenance of aircraft. Materials have an impact through the entire life cycle of aircraft, from the initial design phase through to…