Aircraft Plastics and Fabrics
Aircraft Plastics
Two major classifications of plastics or
resin.
- Thermoplastic
- Thermosetting
Thermoplastic
- Hard in their normal state, but
become soft and pliable when
heated.
- When softened, it can be molded
and shaped, and retain their shape
when cooled.
Cellulose acetate plastics are used
because of their transparency and
lightweight characteristics.
Acrylic plastics are identified by such trade
names as lucite or Plexiglass, this type of
glass is much stiffer than cellulose acetate
and more transparent for all purposes, is
colorless.
Thermosetting
- Resin
- Usually have little strength in
themselves and are generally used
to impregnate linen, paper, or glass
cloth.
- most diverse and widely used of all
manmade materials.
- They are easily poured into any
shape, are compatible with most
materials, and cure readily (by heat
or catalyst) into an insoluble solid
Thermoplastics - Can be melted repeatedly.
Thermosets - Once shaped, can't be melted.
Aircraft Fabrics
Fabric Orientation
Unlike metallic structures, the fabric
structure relies on the proper placement
and use of the reinforcing fabric to produce
a strong covering.
Warp
- The warp of threads in a section of
fabric runs the length of the fabric as
it comes off the roll or bolt.
- Warp direction is designated as 0
degree orientation.
- The warp is critical in creating or
repairing fabric coverings, the fabric
must be applied with the warp
parallel to the direction of flight.
Weft/Fill
- Weft is the threads of the fabrics that
runs perpendicular (90 degrees) to
the warp fibers.
- The weft threads interweave with the
warp threads to create the
reinforcing cloth.
Selvage Edge
- Is the tightly woven edge parallel to the
warp direction, which prevents edge
from unraveling
Bias
- fiber orientation that runs at a 45 degree
angle (diagonal) to the warp threads.
- allows for manipulation of the fabric to
form contoured shapes.
Fabric Styles
unidirectional, bi-directional, multidirectional,
and mat.
Warp Clock
indicates the longitudinal fibers of a fabric.
The warp clock is used to describe the
direction of fibers on a diagram, spec sheet, or
manufacturer’s sheets.
Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals
Non-Ferrous Metals
The term that describes metals which have
elements other than iron as their base is
nonferrous.
Aluminum, copper, titanium, and
magnesium are some of the most common
nonferrous metals used in aircraft construction
and repair.
Aluminum and Its Alloy
Aluminum is found in most clays, soils and
rocks, but the principal commercial source is
the ore bauxite.
Bauxite is largely aluminum oxide mixed with
impurities. These impurities are removed by a
chemical process leaving the pure aluminum
oxide, alumina
Electrolytic process is used to obtain
aluminum from that oxide.
Aluminum Series
1xxx Series
- commercially pure aluminum, of 99
percent or higher purity.
- Pure aluminum offers high corrosion
resistance, excellent thermal and
electrical properties.
2xxx Series
- utilize copper as the principle alloying
agent.
- However, a major drawback to
aluminum-copper alloys is their
susceptibility to intergranular corrosion
when improperly heat-treated.
3xxx Series
- have manganese as the principle
alloying element, and are generally
considered non-heat treatable.
- The most common variation is 3003,
4xxx Series
- alloyed with silicon, which lowers a
metal's melting temperature.
- works well for welding and brazing.
5xxx Series
- Magnesium. possess good welding and
corrosion resistance characteristics.
6xxx Series
- silicon and magnesium form magnesium
silicide which makes the alloy
heat-treatable.
- medium strength with good forming and
corrosion resistance properties.
7xxx Series
- The 7xxx series aluminum alloys are
made harder and stronger by the
addition of zinc. Some widely used
forms of zinc-aluminum alloys are 7075
and 7178.
- 7075 has a tensile strength of 77 KSI
and a bearing strength of 139 KSI.
However, the alloy is very hard and is
difficult to bend.
- An even stronger zinc alloy is 7178
which has a tensile strength of 84 KSI
and a bearing strength of 151 KSI.
Basic Temper Designation
Magnesium and Its Alloy
Magnesium alloys are used for castings and in
its wrought form is available in sheets, bars,
tubing, and extrusions.
Magnesium is one of the lightest metals having
sufficient strength and suitable working
characteristics for use in aircraft structures. It
has a density of 1.74, compared with 2.69 for
aluminum. In other words, it weighs only about
2/3 as much as aluminum.
Magnesium is obtained primarily from
electrolysis of sea water or brine from deep
wells, and lacks sufficient strength in its pure
state for use as a structural metal.
American Society of Testing Materials
(ASTM)
Titanium and Its Alloy
lightweight metals with very high strength.
titanium weighs 0.163 pounds per cubic inch,
which is about 50 percent lighter than steel,
pure titanium is soft and ductile with a density
between that of aluminum and iron
best features of titanium is that it has excellent
corrosion resistance characteristics particularly
to the corrosive effects of salt water.
3 Basic Types of Crystals
- A (alpha) — all-around performance;
good weldability; tough and strong both
cold and hot, and resistant to oxidation.
- B (beta) —bendability; excellent bend
ductility; strong both cold and hot, but
vulnerable to contamination.
- C (combined alpha and beta for
compromise performances) — strong
when cold and warm, but weak when
hot; good bendability; moderate
contamination resistance; excellent
forgeability.
Nickel and Its Alloy
Monel
- Monel contains about 68 percent nickel
and 29 percent copper, along with small
amounts of iron and manganese.
- It can be welded and has very good
machining characteristics.
Inconel
- The International Nickel Company, Inc.,
produces a series of high strength, high
temperature alloys containing
approximately 80 percent nickel, 14
percent chromium, and small amounts
of iron and other elements.
Copper and Its Alloy
due to its excellent electrical and thermal
conductivity, copper is the primary metal used
for electrical wiring.
Copper alloys are classified into three (3)
Brass
- containing zinc and small amounts of
aluminum, iron, lead, manganese,
magnesium, nickel, phosphorous, and
tin.
Bronze
- contains tin. A true bronze consists of
up to 25 percent tin and, along with
brass, is used in bushings, bearings,
fuel-metering valves, and valve seats.
Beryllium
- one of the most used copper alloys. It
consists of approximately 97 percent
copper, 2 percent beryllium, and
sufficient nickel to increase its strength.
Ferrous Metal
Any alloy containing iron as its chief constituent
is called a ferrous metal.
The most common ferrous metal in aircraft
structures is steel.
Iron
- Chemical element which is fairly soft,
malleable, and ductile in its pure form.
- combines readily with oxygen to form
iron oxide, which is more commonly
known as rust.
Steel
- Much of the steel used in aircraft
construction is made in electric
furnaces, which allow better control of
alloying agents than gas-fired furnaces.
SAE Classification of Steel
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
first digit identifies the principal alloying
element in the steel, the second digit denotes
the percent of this alloying.
Alloying Agent for Steel
Carbon
- most common alloying element found in
steel. When mixed with iron, compounds
of iron carbides called cementite form.
- higher carbon content decreases the
malleability and weldability of steel.
Sulfur
- causes steel to be brittle when rolled or
forged and, therefore, it must be
removed in the refining process. If all
the sulfur cannot be removed its effects
can be countered by adding manganese
Silicon
- When silicon is alloyed with steel it acts
as a hardener. When used in small
quantities, it also improves ductility.
Phosphorus
- raises the yield strength of steel and
improves low carbon steel's resistance
to atmospheric corrosion.
Nickel
- adds strength and hardness to steel and
increases its yield strength. It also slows
the rate of hardening when steel is
heat-treated, which increases the depth
of hardening and produces a finer grain
structure.
Chromium
- alloyed with steel to increase strength
and hardness as well as improve its
wear and corrosion resistance.
Nickel Chromium Steel
- Nickel toughens steel, and chromium
hardens it. Therefore, when both
elements are alloyed they give steel
desirable characteristics for use in
high-strength structural applications.
Stainless Steel (Corrosion Resistant Steel,
CRES)
- a classification of corrosion-resistant
steels that contain large amounts of
chromium and nickel.
divided into three general groups based on
their chemical structure:
- Austenitic Steel
- Ferritic Steel ✓ Martensitic Steel
Austenitic Steel