Aerospace and aviation is dominated by products and materials cultivated from or comprised entirely of aluminum. The discovery of aluminum perhaps had no bigger impact than in aircraft manufacturing. As our technology has improved, aluminum has come along for the ride. These days, aluminum’s used more than ever in satisfying the needs of aircraft and aerospace companies.

Why Aluminum Properties are Perfect for Aircraft Manufacturing and Supplies

There are new aluminum alloys in aircraft construction which are stronger and offer more durability. Although some are more expensive than others, you can always rely on aluminum for an excellent strength to weight ratio. For its price point, no other metal comes close to the accomplishments in aluminum. Some aircraft companies are using aluminum alongside carbon fiber and various non-metallic materials as the aforementioned elements can be bent into any form or curvature. That said, aluminum still outdoes these products in performance and also in resistance to UV damage.

There are many recent developments in aluminum alloys for the aerospace industry which continue to push the bounds of strength and performance. For example, Alcoa is in process of developing an aluminum-lithium alloy that is even lighter and which saves more on cost. These developments aside, there are many aluminum alloys which have become standard in aircraft. Aluminum alloys are identified by a 4-digit number system – the first digit for the alloy group and the second for the alloys present in the mix.

For heat treatment in aircraft, the use of copper and zinc with aluminum changes its properties allowing the alloy to soften or harden through heat. The temper designation this receives is in a letter-number combination. The most common temper designations are T3 and T6. To this point, T3 is solution heat-treated and cold-worked through a flattening process, compared to a T6 designation which is heat-treated and also artificially aged.

Now, each alloy comes with unique properties which vary according to its composition. For example, a 2024 alloy is built from 4.5 percent copper, 0.6 percent manganese, and 1.5% magnesium. The 6061 alloy is 0.25 percent copper, 0.6 percent silicone, 1 percent magnesium, and 0.25 percent chromium. The 3003 alloy has only 1.2 percent manganese added. Then, the 5052 alloy is 2.5 percent magnesium and 0.25 chromium.

 2024-T3 is a high-strength aluminum alloy and one of the most popular aluminum alloys in aircraft manufacturing. 2024-T3 aluminum sheets have strong fatigue resistance, is used in repair and restoration, as well as wing skins, cowls, aircraft structures, and more.

 6061-T6 is an aluminum alloy with strong corrosion resistance, the ability to weld with it, and has a strength level which is roughly half of that of mild steel. 6061-T6 is used for aircraft landing mats, truck bodies and frames, and various structural components.

 5052-H3 is a high-strength non-heatable alloy. It is not structural. 5052-H3 has high corrosion resistance and is also used in some marine applications. The 5052-H3 aluminum sheet is commonly used in fuel tanks.

 3003-H14 is pure aluminum with manganese added for strength. It has excellent workability and can be deep drawn, spin, welded, or brazed. It is non-heat treatable. 3003-H14 is applied in cowls and baffle plating.

 7075 is a high-strength aluminum alloy used by aircraft manufacturers to strengthen existing aluminum structures. The copper content in 7075 makes it very difficult to weld. It anodizes well, has excellent machinability, and provides an aesthetically pleasing finish.

Source : https://aaluminum.com/