Materials Selection for Sustainable Executive Aircraft Interiors

Abstract

This study proposes a methodological guide to explore and select materials for executive aircraft interiors, contributing toward a perspective of materials requirements, indicators and strategies to design more environmentally sustainable products. This was motivated by the signs from the aviation industry to reduce its environmental impact and the permanent need to push for cost efficiency. The guide includes a schedule framework of materials requirements for sustainable design, and also aeronautical materials and marketing requirements. It was prepared by mapping sustainability demands for materials selection during product development, supported by a case study. Patented eco-friendly materials solutions for the case study involving the aircraft furniture structural panels were described and analyzed, considering the materials requirements of the aeronautical project. Composites of bio-polymers reinforced with natural fibers, preferably with solid cores, seem to be the most promising solutions to substitute the current panels.

Circular Economy in Material Selection: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Another point to be highlighted is that the remanufacturing criterion is used in only a few studies that involve material selection processes, more specifically in those that deal with component disassembly and reconstruction. In the case of the studies selected in this review (Dos Santos et al, 2016;Hallstedt & Isaksson, 2017;Yang et al, 2017), the remanufacturing criterion is used on studies of structural panels for aeronautical furniture, of engine blocks and intake manifolds, and on studies of components used on aircrafts, which demonstrates the applicability of this criterion…”

Experimental Evaluation of Polyphenylsulfone (PPSF) Powders as Fire-Retardant Materials for Processing by Selective Laser Sintering

“…The additives often may adversely affect the environment or the properties of the fire-resistant polymer [6,7] but intrinsically fire-resistant options such as poly ether ketone (PEEK) have proved to be effective [8]. Several flameretardant polymers are effectively in use for aircraft interior parts, confirming to the FAR 25.855 standards [9][10][11]. However, the-e has been a never-ending urge to identify new materials and processes for more efficient building of fire-retardant interior components of aircrafts [12].…”

Second-Order Parabolic Equation to Model, Analyze, and Forecast Thermal-Stress Distribution in Aircraft Plate Attack Wing–Fuselage

“…Design in the aeronautical industry is currently increasingly based on the use of accurate calculation codes and on the precise knowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials constituting the elements of an aircraft [1][2][3][4]. Moreover, to reduce both management and production costs, it is imperative to require extreme performance of the materials through in-depth knowledge of their mechanical resistance [1,5,6], especially when fatigue phenomena occur due to cyclic loads such as lift on wings, gusts, take-off/landing maneuvers, and fuselage pressurization [7]. Even if cyclic loads are smaller than breaking ones, they contribute to the formation of microcracks, which inevitably lead to the collapse of the structure [8].…”

“…In the history of civil aviation, air disasters caused by collapse due to material fatigue have been numerous [9]. For this reason, the aeronautical industry pays attention to studying the problem of fatigue due to cyclic loads [7,8]. In an aircraft, plate attack wing-fuselages, characterized by reduced geometries, are the structural elements most exposed to the risk of failure because they are subjected to high stresses [8].…”