INVESTIGATIONS ON ALIMUNIUM-LITHIUM ALLOYS FOR DAMAGE TOLERANT APPLICATION

Objective

The properties of Al-Li alloys have been evaluated against the needs of the aircraft industry, and compared with the properties of the 2024-T3 alloy used for aircraft parts today.

Further studies need to be done on the mechanics and physics of fatigue crack growth, to quantitatively account for peak load interactions.
New aluminium-litium alloys offer aircraft manufacturers considerable weight saving potential without extensive conversion of their manufacturing facilities.

At present the main material used for civil aircraft structures is the conventional alloy 2024 T3 because of its excellent damage tolerant behaviour. Al-Li alloys becoming available do not cover the whole range of properties required by the aircraft industry in respect of damage tolerance.

A priority of the programme is to identify the weak points of the existing materials and to define procedures for improvements.

A further increase in attractiveness and cost-efficiency for future use of the material will be possible when a naturally aged alloy becomes available instead of the artificially aged alloy.

Another priority is the understanding and evaluation of specific behaviours of the now available alloys which are specific to Al-Li and mainly unkwon today. Special items such as corrosion, fracture toughness, flight simulation and component tests have to be solved.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › aircraft

Programme(s)

• FP2-BRITE/EURAM 1 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the fields of industrial manufacturing technologies and advanced materials applications (BRITE/EURAM), 1989-1992

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH

Address

Hünefeldstraße 1-5
28199 Bremen
Germany

Participants (10)

Aérospatiale Société Nationale Industrielle SA

France

Address

37 Boulevard De Montmorency
75781 Paris

British Aerospace Defence Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

Warton Aerodrome
PR4 1AX Preston

Cegedur SA

France

Address

23 Rue De Balzac
75008 Paris

Construcciones Aeronauticas SA

Spain

Address

Avd John Lennon S/n
28906 Getafe

Dassault Aviation SA

France

Address

78 Quai Marcel Dassault
92214 Saint-cloud

Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH

Germany

Address

An Der Bundesstraße 31
88039 Friedrichshafen

Fokker Aircraft BV

Netherlands

Address

Hoogoorddreef 15
1100 AE Amsterdam

Secretary of State for Defence

United Kingdom

Address

GU14 0LS Pyestock, Hampshire

Stichting Nationaal Lucht en Ruimte-vaartlaboratorium

Netherlands

Address

90502
1006 BM Amsterdam

University of Patras

Greece

Address

26002 Patrai