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A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y
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Transforming rutile sand to titanium
aerospace components involves three
steps: Ti powder production from sand,
field assisted sintering, and forging.
Courtesy of University of Sheffield.
TITANIUM PRODUCTION
FORGES AHEAD
In collaboration with industry
partners, engineers at the University
of Sheffield, UK, are developing a new
production process for aerospace grade
titanium alloys. Dubbed FAST-forge, the
process involves the transformation of
rutile sand to novel titanium alloy aero-
space components in three steps—pro-
duction of titanium powder from rutile
sand, field assisted sintering technol-
ogy, and a one-step forging process.
FAST-forge promises increased design
flexibility and, potentially, improved
buy-to-fly ratios—a boon in an industry
where the manufacture of some com-
ponents sees 90% of forged titanium
alloy machined away to waste.
Because titanium is compatible
with carbon, it is used for fasteners and
high-strength forgings in many civilian
aircraft, which are increasingly man-
ufactured from carbon composite fu-
selage and wing structures. Orders for
these aircraft are forecast to rise over
the next decade due to increased air
travel, but with titanium’s current world
mill production capacity at approxi-
mately 130,000 tons, supply may not be
able to meet increasing demand unless
additional sources are made available.
“Titanium is a lightweight and inherent-
ly corrosion resistant material, giving it
performance, environmental, and cost
advantages over high grade steels,”
says Martin Jackson, director of aero-
space engineering and co-director of
the Sheffield Titanium Alloy Research
Group. “But it is three times the cost
of steel, with limited supply. The FAST-
forge process shows how the benefits
of titanium over steel can be achieved
more efficiently and at lower cost.”
.
BOOSTING EFFICIENCY IN
MMC MANUFACTURE
The Detroit-based public-private
consortium, Lightweight Innovations
for Tomorrow (LIFT), and Materion
Corp., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, are join-
ing forces to identify new efficiencies in
the manufacture of lightweight alumi-
num metal matrix composites (MMCs)
for transportation components. Their
two-year collaboration with indus-
try experts and university researchers
will examine the consolidation and
metalworking methods necessary to
fabricate mechanically alloyed MMCs
derived from powder metal for use in
large-scale automotive and aerospace
platforms. The team will explore alter-
natives to hot isostatic pressing (HIP),
which they believe will reduce produc-
tion time and costs while maintaining
high standards for specific modulus and
strength-to-weight ratio. Among oth-
er goals, the initiative will investigate
several product forms, including extru-
sions, 3D near-net-shape HIP, press and
sinter parts, and thin sheet.
The project team also includes
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GKN, Case
Western Reserve University, Pennsyl-
vania State University, University of
Tennessee, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, and Oak Ridge National
Laboratory. The group aims to render
MMCs with greater commercially viabili-
ty than current versions, for application
inautomotive, industrial, andaerospace
products in the short termand addition-
al transportationplatforms in the future.
, materion.com.
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
LIFT is a public-private partnership that
aims to develop and deploy advanced
lightweight materials manufacturing
technologies.
Copper distribution around dendritic microstructures during
solidification of an Al-Cu alloy. Courtesy of Mohsen Eshraghi.
NASA, Washington, awarded California State University, Los Angeles two grants
totaling $840,000 to conduct materials science experiments with the International
Space Station. The project will use simulation to examine how materials solidify under
different circumstances—in space, in the absence of gravity, and on earth where gravity
is present
BRIEF