Aluminium alloys: physical metallurgy, processing and properties

Abstract

The development of the aerospace industry during the twentieth century has relied heavily on the availability of aluminium and its alloys. Since their introduction into Zeppelins during World War I and both civil and military aircraft since World War II, aluminium alloys have remained the dominant materials for the construction of subsonic airframe structures. Currently, wrought aluminium alloys account for greater than 70% of the materials usage for a modern transport airframe on account of their low density, good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance at ambient temperatures. Their availability in many product forms (Figure 2.1) together with ease of fabrication ensures that aluminium alloys continue to be selected for structurally efficient airframes [1]. Similar requirements have led to extensive use of aluminium alloys for structural applications in satellites and space launch vehicles since the late 1950s.