RE: Why Aluminium Is Used In Aircraft?
askaluadmin > 06-25-2023, 06:40 AM
Aluminum and its alloys are today considered one of the most practical of metals for a variety of reasons. Its low cost, light-weight, and modern appearance are among the primary reasons for its widespread use. It is non-sparking, electrically conductive, thermally conductive, non-magnetic, reflective, and chemically resistant. It is popular in the construction, marine and aircraft industries because of its ease of fabrication, non-toxicity, strength (pound-for pound), and resistance to the corrosive atmospheres of industry and marine environments. Anodizing increases this corrosion resistance and also permits iridescent finishes in different colors. Some alloys are slightly corrosive and so are cladded with a thin layer of aluminum for added protection.
Due to the light weight and high strength of aluminum, many alloys such as 2024 alloy, 7075 T6 aluminum and 7150 aluminum are widely used on the aeroplane, making the aircraft a safe, economical and feasible mode of transportation.
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Aluminum plate is an important structural material for aircraft, and it is mainly used in fuselage, wing skin, oil tank etc. By using aluminum composite materials, the density of aircraft’s outer skin can be decreased by 5%-7%. As a result, the total weight can be reduced 10%, and therefore fuel efficiency increases. Moreover, 7% can be increased in stiffness of the material by using aluminum plate. Due to the superb corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance and damage tolerance of alunimium alloy, the inspection period can be extended and hence decreasing maintenance cost.
The skin of an airplane is usually made of aluminum. And most other metal parts on the plane are also made of aluminum. For example, the engine of a piston-driven airplane is made of aluminum. Most of the metal fixtures in the aircraft, such as seats, doors, cabinets, etc., are also made of aluminum.