A sustainable future of aerospace
Sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips when looking at the future of the aviation industry. While the world waits for electric and hydrogen-powered commercial airplanes, its best chance for sustainable air travel is to make aircraft as fuel-efficient as possible. Key differentiators will include lighter, stronger materials, more efficient engines, and alternative fuel sources.
Developing cost-effective, sustainable materials with better strength-to-weight ratios is a constant challenge. Lighter aircraft must be strong enough to safely withstand extreme temperature swings during flights at great heights and speeds.
A unique alloy, Ti Grade 9
Titanium Grade 9’s exceptional blend of lightness and tremendous fatigue resistance makes it ideal for sustainable?aircraft. As a key end-to-end Ti Grade 9 tubing producer, Alleima helps the aerospace industry cut carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency.
With its extraordinary combination of high strength and low density, Titanium Grade 9 satisfies the demands for structural integrity under pressure while still helping to keep the weight of the aircraft down.
“Ti Grade 9 is used by most of the big aircraft OEMs and it will continue to be used for some time to come,” says Guirec GUYON , Global Industry Manager of Aerospace at Alleima.
Three particular advantages of using Ti Grade 9 for hydraulics tubing are its fatigue resistance, insulating capabilities and ability to withstand corrosion.
“Flights start at ground air temperature, then after take-off, they quickly reach heights of more than 30,000 feet (10km), where the outside air temperature sinks to -minus 50°C,” says Guirec Guyon.
Greater fatigue and corrosion resistance also give the tubing a longer service life with less maintenance required. That’s good news for safety and operational cost efficiency, due to less aircraft downtime.
“The Titanium Grade 9 tubing will keep its mechanical properties even at this very low temperature, allowing the hydraulic lines to perform as expected during the flight.” Like other parts of an airplane, the tubing also has to be fatigue-resistant to withstand cyclic loading: repeated, systematic stresses on the same area.
Alleima’s role in a more sustainable aerospace industry
“We’ve mastered the difficult art of producing Ti Grade 9, which is trusted by some of the biggest players in the aerospace industry because it withstands the demands of hundreds of thousands of hours of tests and performs under the most challenging temperatures and corrosive conditions,” says Guyon.
Alleima advanced stainless steel and titanium alloys are used in the pipes and tubes that make up aircraft hydraulic systems. Whereas titanium provides the lightness that is so key to increased fuel efficiency, some parts are better suited to stainless steel due to pressure requirements.
“The ability to cope with higher pressures and temperatures allows engines to run more efficiently,” he continues, adding that this will be a key focal area for Alleima.
“Engine producers are constantly promising airlines more efficient engines. To deliver that, they need more and more complicated material,” he continues.
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Product-specific carbon footprint data for rock drill steel products
Alleima has been working on carbon footprint analyses, also known as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), for selected products for an extended period. Alleima is now able to share carbon footprint data on its Rock Drill Steel (RDS) products as part of its complete commitment to the green transition within the mining industry.
Supporting the green transition in the mining industry
In response to the global shift towards sustainability and carbon footprint reduction, large companies in the mining industry are actively seeking environmentally responsible solutions. Alleima serves many clients in the drilling and mining industries, with key customers including Epiroc Drilling Tools, manufacturing rock drilling rods using rock drill steel from Alleima.
By providing product-specific carbon footprints, Epiroc can assess the environmental impact of their Rock Drilling Tools more accurately.
“We need to have accurate and reliable data from our suppliers to present ourselves as reliable”, says Michael Jansson, General Manager at Epiroc Drilling Tools.
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Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Carrington Fellow '24/25 | Aerospace | Clean Energy | Climate Advocate | Propulsion | SAFs | Hydrogen | Founder, Young Aerospace Professionals Initiative | STEM Education Advocate
10 个月One of the least popular sustainable aviation advancements is the use of light-weight materials. Thank you for shedding more light on this and the role Alleima is playing in this.