ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS USED IN PROPELLER CONSTRUCTION

Materials Advantages Disadvantages

 Prone to deterioration.
 Low-cost  susceptible to damage due to ground
 Lightweight debris.
A. Wood  Easy to Build  Limited to design configuration due to
 Less vibration. strength integrity based on geometry and
 Non-corrosive and low maintenance. thickness.
 Vulnerable to distortion.
 Can be shaped through the desired
 Prone to corrosion
design configuration without sacrificing
 Hard to detect internal defects inside
strength integrity.
because of the hollow structure.
 More durable than wood.
B. Steel  Heavier than other materials.
 Can be used for high-speed configuration
 Can damage the crankshaft severely if the
designs.
propeller disintegrates during operation.
 Less rotating mass and accelerate faster
if the design is well balanced.
 Lightweight
 Low-cost
 Prone to chipping and bending due to soft
 Can be used for high-speed configuration
composition.
C. Aluminum designs.
 High maintenance.
Alloy  Less rotating mass and accelerate faster if
 Soft alloy is also prone to corrosion.
the design is well balanced.
 Less durable than steel.
 Good malleability properties for
production.
 Lightweight  Expensive
 Non- corrosive.  Hard to determine its defects due to limited
 Extremely durable for high-speed methods of inspection for composite
D. Composite
configuration. materials.
Materials
 Less noise and vibration.  More brittle than wrought metals.
 Longer service life.  Repair at the original cure temperature
 Low maintenance. requires tooling and pressure.