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Advantages and
Disadvantages of Using Composite Materials in Airplanes
Weight reduction
is the single greatest advantage of composite material usage - a lower-weight
plane is more fuel-efficient because it requires less fuel to propel itself
forward
BY SARINA HOUSTON
Composite materials —
especially those made from glass fibers, carbon fibers, and Kevlar — are widely
used in the aircraft industry.
They are stronger and
lighter than aluminum, the metal that's most commonly used in aircraft bodies.
Composite materials
are so named because they consist of two or more materials.
The composites used
in planes consist of fibers suspended in a matrix of epoxy resin.
Fiberglass is a
composite material made of glass fibers and epoxy resin. It was first used in
aircraft, by Boeing, in the 1950s.
The Boeing 787
Dreamliner was the first commercial airplane to be constructed from 50%
composite materials, mostly carbon fiber composites; All Nippon Airways put the
first 787 into service in October 2011.
The remainder of the
plane consists mostly of aluminum, titanium, and steel.
Composite materials
have revolutionized aviation, but their use does present some engineering and
maintenance challenges.
Here is a roundup of
the advantages and disadvantages of using composites in aircraft.
Advantages
Weight reduction is
the single greatest advantage of composite material usage. A lower-weight plane
is more fuel-efficient because it requires less fuel to propel itself forward.
Composites are also
incredibly strong and as a result have a higher strength-to-weight ratio, also
known as specific strength, than the metals used in making aircraft.
In addition, they
resist compression and don't easily break under tension.
Composite materials
aren't prone to corrosion due to harsh chemicals, and they're resistant to many
highly reactive chemicals. They can also handle wide variations in temperature
and exposure to severe weather.
Another big advantage
of composites is their design flexibility: They can be made into just about
shape.
And a single, oddly
shaped piece of composite can replace many pieces made of other materials. That
helpful characteristic cuts down on maintenance and so can reduce costs over
the lifetime of a plane.
Once a composite
piece has been formed, it maintains its shape and size.
That's important in
the aircraft industry because it means the essential parts of a plane made out
of composite materials won't grow, shrink, or change form as environmental
conditions vary.
Disadvantages
Perhaps the biggest
disadvantage of composite materials for aircraft and component manufacturers is
their higher initial cost compared with metals.
The greater cost is
largely due to the price of the fibers and the complicated process required to
make the finished materials.
It can be difficult
to tell when the interior structure of a composite aircraft piece has been
damaged. That makes inspections difficult and more costly.
One issue that comes
up during inspections is delamination — when layers of composites separate.
The biggest cause of
delamination is an impact to the composite piece. Water can infiltrate a piece
that has experienced delamination, and the problem will get worse as the water
freezes and thaws.
Standard aircraft
composite materials do not conduct electricity and so, unlike aluminum, cannot
prevent lightning from being directed to a plane's fuel tanks.
That problem was
corrected for the 787 by incorporating wire mesh into the composite.
Finally, the resin
used in composite materials weakens at temperatures as low as 150 degrees
Fahrenheit, and a temperature above 300 degrees might result in aircraft
failure.
When composite
materials burn, they give off toxic fumes and micro-particles into the air,
causing health risks.
For all of those
reasons, fire prevention is crucial on planes built with composites.
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