Introduction to Aerospace Materials

9

Titanium alloys for aerospace structures and engines

9.1 Introduction

Titanium alloys are used in airframe structures, landing gear components and jet engine parts for their unique combination of properties: moderate density, high strength, long fatigue life, fracture toughness, creep strength, and excellent resistance to corrosion and oxidation. Titanium alloys also have good mechanical performance at high temperature (up to 500–600 °C), which is well above the operating temperature limit of lightweight aerospace materials such as aluminium alloys, magnesium alloys and fibre–polymer composites. For this reason, when titanium alloys were originally used in aircraft in the early 1950s it was for high-temperature applications. The earliest ...