Every time I see an airplane, I have a question: What metal material is the airplane made of? Why can we fly so high with so many people and goods, ranging from tens of tons to hundreds of tons? It's unbelievable!

In fact, the manufacture of aircraft, artificial satellites, Lunar module, manned spacecraft and other spacecraft can not be separated from one kind of material, that is, titanium alloy. Although the application history of titanium and titanium alloys is not long, due to their unique properties, they have already achieved; Space Metal; The title of. Extraordinary light weight, high strength, and high temperature resistance, especially suitable for manufacturing components for aircraft and various spacecraft. So far, about three-quarters of the titanium and titanium alloys produced worldwide are used in the aerospace industry manufacturing.

Titanium is very abundant in the Earth's crust, far higher than common metals such as copper, zinc, and tin, ranking ninth. It is abundant in sand, rocks, and clay, laying the foundation for widespread development and utilization.

Titanium alloys are suitable for the aerospace industry due to their high strength, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance.

The testing data tells us that the strength of titanium alloy is 1.3 times that of aluminum alloy, 1.6 times that of magnesium alloy, and 3.5 times that of stainless steel, making it far ahead of other metal materials. Its good thermal strength is another characteristic that is more suitable for aerospace manufacturing. Titanium alloy has a high thermal strength, which can work for a long time at temperatures ranging from 450 to 500 ℃, several hundred degrees higher than aluminum alloy. This is beyond the reach of other materials. Good corrosion resistance is also quite outstanding, with atmospheric corrosion resistance, alkali resistance, acid resistance, and strong resistance to pitting corrosion and stress corrosion. In addition, titanium alloy TA7 with extremely low interstitial elements can maintain a certain degree of plasticity at -253 ℃, and its low-temperature performance is also particularly good. Titanium alloys have high chemical activity at high temperatures and are prone to chemical reactions with gases such as hydrogen and oxygen in the air, forming a hardened layer. The elastic modulus of titanium alloy is about half of that of steel, with a small elastic modulus. The thermal conductivity of various titanium alloys is about 1/4 of nickel, 1/5 of iron, and 1/14 of aluminum, which is about 50% lower than pure titanium. The thermal conductivity is very small. These are excellent characteristics of aerospace manufacturing.

Titanium alloys are divided into high-strength alloys, heat-resistant alloys, corrosion-resistant alloys, low-temperature alloys, and special functional alloys according to their usage.

Titanium alloys are mainly used in the manufacturing of aircraft and engines, such as forged titanium fans, compressor discs and blades, engine covers, exhaust devices, and structural framework components such as aircraft beams and frames. Spacecraft mainly utilize the high strength, corrosion resistance, and low-temperature resistance of titanium alloy to manufacture various pressure vessels, fuel storage tanks, fasteners, instrument straps, frames, and rocket shells. Titanium alloy plate weldments are used in artificial satellites, Lunar module, manned spacecraft and space shuttles.

In recent years, scientists have continuously made breakthroughs in their research on the properties of titanium alloys. The maximum operating temperature has increased from 550 ℃ to 600 ℃ to 1040 ℃. Replacing stainless steel with titanium alloy to manufacture high-pressure compressor discs and blades can reduce structural weight. You should know that for every 10% reduction in aircraft weight, fuel can be saved by 4%. For rockets, every 1kg reduction in weight can increase their range by 15km. We believe that there is still great room for research and development of titanium alloys, and they will undoubtedly become one of the driving forces for the development of aerospace manufacturing.