Recent development in aluminium alloys for aerospace applications

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Vol. 280; no. 1; pp. 102 - 107
• Main Authors: Miller, W S, Heinz, A, Haszler, A, Keidel, C, Moldenhauer, S, Benedictus, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 13.06.1999
• ISSN: 0921-5093

Driven by the increasing requirements from aircraft producers, Hoogovens Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH, together with Hoogovens Research & Development, has enhanced the property combinations of their aircraft materials. For these types of material, optimised processing routes and new alloy chemistries have been investigated. While retaining the strength levels required by the aerospace industry, new processing routes offer major improvements in ductility, toughness, fatigue performance and in reduction of residual stress in large dimension plate and sheet products. A further goal of investigating new alloy chemistries is the trend towards new joining techniques such as welding and brazing for aircraft structures. These new joining techniques require different property combinations compared to the conventional areospace alloys. In parallel to these improved processing routes and new alloy developments, new ultrasonic inspection techniques have been developed, which are able to predict fatigue performance and residual stress in thick plate products.