Lightweight Structures and Advanced Materials

The aerospace sector is a prime industry where advanced materials and manufacturing play a major role. Lightweight structures lead to fuel savings and hence reduce both costs and carbon emissions, contributing to environmentally friendly systems. This chapter provides a description of advanced materials and structural design approaches to promote green technology and establish sustainable systems in the aerospace and aviation industry. The aim of light weight structural design is to produce a structural part that has an ideal combination of strength and stiffness, usually using relatively low-density materials. Aluminium and its alloys typically have a relatively low density, high ductility, as well as high electrical and thermal conductivities. The mechanical properties of aluminium can be improved by cold work and alloying. Aluminium alloys have been important materials in the construction of lightweight airframes for aircraft since the 1930s. Two kinds of composites, namely polymer composites and hybrid composites, are commonly used in aerospace applications.