The Importance of Aerospace Materials

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 manufacture and certification of the aircraft, to flight operations and maintenance and, finally, to disposal at the end-of-life.

Materials affect virtually every aspect of the aircraft, including the:

• purchase cost of new aircraft;

• cost of structural upgrades to existing aircraft;

• design options for the airframe, structural components and engines;

• fuel consumption of the aircraft (light-weighting);

• operational performance of the aircraft (speed, range and payload);

• power and fuel efficiency of the engines;

• in-service maintenance (inspection and repair) of the airframe and engines;

• safety, reliability and operational life of the airframe and engines; and

• disposal and recycling of the aircraft at the end-of-life.

Aerospace materials are defined in this as structural materials that carry the loads exerted on the airframe during flight operations (including taxiing, take-off, cruising and landing). Structural materials are used in safety-critical airframe components such as the wings, fuselage, empennage and landing gear of aircraft; the fuselage, tail boom and rotor blades of helicopters; and the airframe, skins and thermal insulation tiles of spacecraft such as the space shuttle. Aerospace materials are also defined as jet engine structural materials that carry forces in order to generate thrust to propel the aircraft. The materials used in the main components of jet engines, such as the turbine blades, are important to the safety and performance of aircraft and therefore are considered as structural materials in this book.

An understanding of the science and technology of aerospace materials is critical to the success of aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft. This book provides the key information about aerospace materials used in airframe structures and jet engines needed by engineers working in aircraft design, aircraft manufacturing and aircraft operations.