AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY REMAINS THE FIRST AND THE MAJOR TITANIUM CONSUMER

Material requirements for aircraft building:
1.small weight
2.high specific strength
3.heat resistance
4.fatigue load resistance
5.crack resistance
6.corrosion resistance

Aluminium was widely used in subsonic aircraft. Aerotechnics of supersonic speeds faced with elevated temperatures of the aircraft skin for which aluminium can not be applied due to low heat resistance. Structural materials reliably operating in complicated combination of force and temperature fields under the influence of corrosive media, radiation and high pressures were required. Titanium and its alloys meet this requirement.

Currently a greater amount of titanium is incorporated in to aircraft. This is connected with the fact that the share of the composite materials with which aluminium intensively interacts and corrodes in the new airplanes is being increased.  Titanium is not subjected to these processes and results in increasing the life of components.

Three major trends of titanium application for aircraft building:
1.fabrication of items of complex space configuration:
 - hatch and door edging where moisture is likely to be accumulated (high corrosion resistance of titanium is used)
 - skins which are affected by engine combustion product flow, flame preventing fire safety-proof membranes (high temperature of melting and chemical inactivity of titanium is used)
 - thin-walled lead pipes of air system (minimum thermal titanium extension ratio compared to all other metals is used)
 - floor decking of the cargo cabin (high strength and hardness is used)
2.