Titanium Vs. Aluminum In The Manufacture Of Airplane Parts

May 04, 2023

The variety of materials used to manufacture airplane parts is expanding. Aircraft composites like fiberglass, carbon fiber, and thermoplastic have been increasingly utilized to build more aircraft components.

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Versatility, low weight, and durability are just a few of the key attributes that make composites favorable for various parts of an airplane, jet, or other craft.

But, conventional aircraft materials like aluminum and titanium remain standards in this industry and there are many reasons why. Aircraft aluminum and titanium deliver advantages that can't always be duplicated, which makes these metals especially relevant to getting and keeping aircraft in flight, and with maximum efficiency and safety.

In examining the properties and prevalence of these two materials in aerospace, it's also worth comparing aluminum vs. titanium to better understand why they’re used and where, and which is the better choice for achieving optimal performance from aircraft components.

Aircraft-grade aluminum stands out for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, which is ideal for keeping aircraft components thin, light, and aerodynamic without a loss of strength. Aluminum is also a reliable electrical conductor and an excellent thermal conductor. Factors like creep resistance and tensile strength vary based on the specific aluminum alloy.

Aircraft-grade titanium is denser than aluminum, but it is still considered a lightweight option among aircraft metals. It does not offer the same level of thermal and electrical conductivity. However, its corrosion resistance, compatibility with other materials, and strength make it better for use on some aircraft parts that require rigid strength without excess weight or vulnerability to corrosion.

Which Airplane Parts Are Made From Titanium And Aluminum Grades?

Although aerospace composites now make up the bulk of the structure of commercial aircraft, aluminum is the next most prevalent material with titanium immediately following. Steel is also used, along with other materials, although not prominently.

Aerospace-grade aluminum is mainly used in the fuselage, wing skins, and cowls of the plane, as well as portions of its structure. Aluminum's lightweight, flexibility, and resistance to corrosion make it a suitable material for these elements. But apart from these advantages, aluminum is accessible, being one of the most abundant metals and third most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and therefore relatively inexpensive compared to other aerospace alloys.

Various grades of titanium are used in the plane's frame, engine parts, landing gear, and aircraft systems and components. Grade Ti-10V-2Fe-3A1, for example, is used in landing gear due to its excellent hardenability, high strength, and resistance to fatigue and corrosion. In contrast, grade Ti-8A1-1Mo-1V's heat resistance makes it useful for aircraft compressor blades and compressor discs.

New Manufacturing Processes For Aircraft Aluminum And Titanium

Conventional machining and metalwork have been the main manufacturing methods for producing aircraft parts made from aluminum, titanium, and other aerospace-grade materials like inconel. While these processes are still used to produce components, new methods like 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, are being utilized to produce aircraft components.

In its earliest stages, 3D printing was only useful for creating parts from polymers, which can be suitable for composite aircraft materials, but this is not the case for metals like titanium and aluminum. That changed with the development of printable metal powders and improved printing methods such as laser powder bed fusion.

Both titanium and aluminum parts can be 3D printed using powdered versions of the metals. However, the processes reduce much of the integrity of the materials, and issues like porosity and cracking can compromise their strength. But, these problems are being addressed with improved fabrication methods and the introduction of strengthening elements like ceramic nanowires, which are added directly to the metal power.

These new manufacturing methods could make 3D-printed aluminum and titanium components standard parts of an airplane, helicopter, or spacecraft, rather than the experimental and noteworthy components they are today.