Aircraft Materials, Hardware, and Processes Flashcards
What is the alloy number or the most commonly used aluminum alloy for aircraft structural use?
2024-T
What is the alloy number of a high strength aluminum alloy that has zinc as an alloying component?
7075
What type of composite material is used when stiffness is the prime requirement?
Graphite (carbon)
What type of composite material is used when toughness is the prime requirement?
Kevlar
Why is a piece of steel tempered after it has been hardened?
When steel is hardened, it becomes brittle. Tempering removes some of this brittleness.
How is steel annealed?
It is heated to just above its upper critical temperature until it reaches a uniform temperature throughout, then it is allowed to cool very slowly in the oven.
How is steel hardened?
It is heated to its critical temperature and quenched in water, brin, or oil.
What is meant by tempering steel?
The steel is first hardened; then some of the hardness is removed to relieve some of the internal stresses and brittleness.
What is meant by case hardening?
The surface of the metal is hardened by the infusion of carbon or aluminum nitride. The interior of the metal remains strong and tough.
What are two methods of case hardening?
Carburizing and nitriding.
How is steel nitrided?
The steel part is heated in a retort in which there is an atmosphere of ammonia (a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen). Aluminum, an alloying element in the steel, combines with the nitrogen to form an extremely hard aluminum nitride of the surface of the steel.
What is the method of solution heat treatment of an aluminum alloy?
The metal is hardened by heating it in a furnace to a specified temperature and immediately quenching it in water. It is soft when it is removed from the quench, but as it ages it regains its hardness.
What is the method of precipitation heat treating of an aluminum alloy?
The metal is heated and quenched, then it is returned to the oven and heated to a lower temperature. It is held at this temperature for a specified time, then removed from the oven and allowed to cool in still air. This increases the strength and hardness of the metal. Precipitation heat treating is also called artificial aging.
What is another name for precipitation heat treatment?
Artificial aging.
Identify and explain the differences between heat-treated and non-heat-treated aluminum alloys.
Heat-treated aluminum alloy designations are normally followed with a -T, followed by a number (1-10) that designates the type of heat treat. A common aircraft aluminum alloy is 2024-T3. Heat-treated aluminum is stronger than non-heat-treated aluminum.
Why is it important that a piece of aluminum alloy be quenched immediately after it is removed from the heat treating oven?
Any delay in quenching aluminum alloy after it is removed from the oven will allow the grain structure to grow enough that intergranular corrosion is likely to form in the metal.
What are the forces that can be placed on aircraft materials?
Tensioin, compression, torsion, bending, strain, and shear.
Describe tension.
A force tending to stretch or elongate the material.
Describe compression.
A force tending to compress or shrink.
Describe bending.
A perpendicular force on the longitudinal axis of an object, causing it to flex or bend. The inner surface of the bend will be in compression and the outer surface of the bend will be in tension.
Describe torsion.
A twisting force on an object.
Describe strain.
The stress of an object which can cause the object to change shape or to become distorted.
Describe shear.
A force that tried to cut of slice through an object. The force is parallel to the material cross section.
What type of loading should be avoided when using a self-locking nut on an aircraft bolt?
A self -locking nut should not be used for any application where there are any rotational forces applied to the nut or to the bolt.
What determines the correct grip length of a bolt used in an aircraft structure?
The grip length of the bolt should be the same as the combined thicknesses of the materials being held by the bolt.