In recent years, a great effort has been devoted to developing a new generation of materials for aeronautic applications. The driving force behind this effort is the reduction of costs, by extending the service life of aircraft parts (structural and engine components) and increasing fuel efficiency, load capacity and flight range. The present paper examines the most important classes of metallic materials including Al alloys, Ti alloys, Mg alloys, steels, Ni superalloys and metal matrix composites (MMC), with the scope to provide an overview of recent advancements and to highlight current problems and perspectives related to metals for aeronautics. Horizontal stabilizersLower Compression CYS, E, DT Upper Tension DT, YS As shown in Figure 2, engines consist of cold (fan, compressor and casing) and hot (combustion chamber and turbine) sections. The material choice depends on the working temperature. The components of cold sections require materials with high specific strength and corrosion resistance. Ti and Al alloys are very good for these applications. For instance, the working temperature of the compressor is in the range of 500-600 °C, and the Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo alloy (YS = 640 MPa at 450 °C; excellent corrosion resistance) is the most commonly used material.For the hot sections, materials with good creep resistance, mechanical properties at high temperature and high-temperature corrosion resistance are required, and Ni-base superalloys are the optimal choice.

Zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) containing an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (BmimSO 4 ), has been synthesized by a co-precipitation method. This strategy enabled the intercalation of the ionic liquid (IL) into the interlamellar space of LDH with the aim of increasing the ionic conductivity and reducing its dependence on water content. Pure and IL-intercalated LDHs have been characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements showed that the addition of IL enhanced the ionic conductivity of LDH by a factor of 15 at low humidity and by a factor of 9 at high humidity conditions. As a possible application, LDHs were dispersed as a guest filler in a composite anion exchange membrane (AEM) based on polysulfone-DABCO. In this case, the addition of IL remarkably improved the ionic conductivity of the membrane from 1.0 · 10 À9 to 2.4 · 10 À7 S/ cm at low humidity. At high humidity, the membranes reached a conductivity of 25 mS/cm at 25 8C in OH form. Stability tests of composite AEM confirmed the positive effect of LDH nanoparticles. Figure 1. Chemical formulas of a) LDH and b) 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (BmimSO 4 ).

No abstract

AISI 316L steel, subjected to a low temperature carburizing treatment (kolstering), has been examined by Mechanical Spectroscopy (MS) and nanoindentation to determine the Youngs modulus of the surface hardened layer (S phase). MS results showed that the average value of elastic modulus of S phase is 202 GPa, a little higher than that of the untreated material.Nanoindentation tests, carried out with loads of 5, 15 and 30 mN, evidence a modulus profile vs depth: E is ~ 400 GPa at a distance from the surface of ~ 110 nm, then decreases to reach the value of the steel substrate (190 GPa) at 33 μm.These results, together with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) measurements of carbon concentration profile, can be explained by considering the presence of a very thin surface layer, different from S phase and consisting of a mixed structure of Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and tetrahedral carbon (taC).Furthermore, the same experiments have been carried out also after heat treatments at 450 °C to correlate the modulus change to the decomposition of the metastable S phase leading to the formation of (Cr,Mo)C and Cr23C6 carbides in a Cr-depleted austenitic matrix.

Abstract:Welding between Fe and Al alloys is difficult because of a significant difference in thermal properties and poor mutual solid-state solubility. This affects the weld microstructure and causes the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The present study aims to explore the weld microstructure and those compounds over two different technologies: the laser offset welding and the hybrid laser-MIG (Metal inert gas) welding. The former consists of focusing the laser beam on the top surface of one of the two plates at a certain distance (offset) from the interfaces. Such a method minimizes the interaction between elevated temperature liquid phases. The latter combines the laser with a MIG/MAG arc, which helps in bridging the gap and stabilizing the weld pool. AISI 316 stainless steel and AA5754 aluminum alloy were welded together in butt configuration. The microstructure was characterized and the microhardness was measured. The energy dispersive spectroscopy/X-ray Diffraction (EDS/XRD) analysis revealed the composition of the intermetallic compounds. Laser offset welding significantly reduced the content of cracks and promoted a narrower intermetallic layer.

Tungsten (W) is considered a promising plasma-facing material for protecting the divertor of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). The effects on W of transient thermal loads of high energy occurring in a tokamak under operative conditions have been simulated through a single laser pulse delivered by an Nd:YAG laser. Bulk and plasma-sprayed (PS) samples have been submitted to tests and successively examined via SEM (scanning electron microscopy) observations. In both types of materials, the laser pulse induces similar effects: (i) a crater forms in the spot central area; (ii) all around the area, the ejection and the movement of molten metal give rise to a ridge; (iii) in a more external area, the surface shows plates with jagged boundaries and cracks induced by thermal stresses; (iv) the pores present in the original material become preferred ablation sites. However, the affected surface area in PS samples is larger and asymmetric if compared to that of bulk material. Such a difference has been explained by considering how microstructural characteristics influence heat propagation from the irradiated spot, and it was found that grain size and shape play a decisive role.

Two types of (Zn, Al) layered double hydroxide were prepared by a hydrothermal process at room temperature using Zn salt precursors on Al foils. The examined LDHs differ for the hosted anions in the interlamellar space, namely Cl À and NO 3 À . Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy have been used to characterize four types of the samples, representative of the two hosted anions (Cl À and NO 3 À ) and two times of growth (6 and 24 h). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results permitted to describe the interactions between inorganic anions hosted in the interlamellar space and the metallic cations on the brucite layer. They also allowed giving a tentative explanation of the different morphologies observed by scanning electron microscopy.

The conventional heat-treatment standard for the industrial post hot-forging cycle of AA7050 is regulated by the AMS4333 and AMS2770N standards. An innovative method that aimed to improve toughness behavior in Al alloys has been developed and reported. The unconventional method introduces an intermediate warm working step between the solution treating and the final ageing treatment for the high resistance aluminum alloy AA7050. The results showed several benefits starting from the grain refinement to a more stable fracture toughness KIC behavior (with an appreciable higher value) without tensile property loss. A microstructural and precipitation state characterization provided elements for the initial understanding of these improvements in the macro-properties.