The application of titanium in the aerospace industry mainly utilizes its properties of low density, high strength, high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.
The application of titanium in the aerospace industry also achieves the purpose of reducing the launch weight, increasing the range and saving costs, and is a popular material in the aerospace industry. In the rocket, missile and aerospace industries can be used as pressure vessels, fuel storage tanks, rocket engine shells, rocket nozzle casing, artificial satellite shells, manned spacecraft cabin (skin and structural skeleton), landing gear, moon landing module, propulsion systems and so on.
U.S. first-class rocket motor casing material widely used is Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The use of this alloy are: giant cylindrical liquid rocket container; intercontinental ballistic missiles, "Minuteman" missiles and other spherical and oval engine shells. On the other hand, due to the Ti-6Al-4VELI and Ti-5Al-2.5SnELI alloys gap elements, especially low oxygen content, can be used at ultra-low temperatures, so these alloys are used as rockets and missiles, liquid hydrogen containers, "Mercury" spacecraft and "Gemini" spacecraft sealing capsule. "Spaceship" and 'Mercury' spacecraft and 'Gemini' sealing capsule, as well as in the moon landing success of the 'Apollo (Apollo)' spacecraft's main structural components.
Titanium and titanium alloys used in the aerospace industry, in addition to the use of industrially pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, Ti-6Al-4VELI and Ti-5Al-2.5SnELI, there are also Ti-7Al-4Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, Ti-13V-1Cr-Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al and Ti/B-3Sn. 3Al and Ti-B-Al composites.
Spacecraft space shuttle, is able to repeatedly use the world's first manned spacecraft. Development began in 1972 and the first flight was successful in 1981. The spacecraft consists of a small-shaped winged vehicle, a 47-meter-long external fuel container and two solid-fuel rocket boosters totaling 500 tons.
The orbital spacecraft, 37m long and weighing about 68t, which is roughly the same size as the jet transport DC-9, is the largest manned spacecraft to date, with a cargo compartment of 18m in length and 5m in diameter, capable of transporting 29.5t of cargo into Earth orbit.
The space shuttle can be launched like a rocket and fly in orbit at a maximum altitude of 1,000km like a spaceship, and glide to land like an airplane in the absence of thrust. Such shuttles are, in essence, cosmic transports, so one of the parameters for judging their usefulness is the payload capacity for transportation to and from Earth and between Earth orbits. To maximize this payload, titanium alloys have become an important material for space motor components.
The design life of an orbital spacecraft is 100 flights, with a stay in the universe of 7 to 30 days per flight; the spacecraft is manned, so it is designed to adapt to the environment of the cosmic space (vacuum, extreme temperature differences in orbit, heat generation on return to the atmosphere, etc.) and to be used repeatedly.
1. High Pressure Vessel
Titanium alloys are used in many places due to their ability to reduce the total weight of a spacecraft orbiting a vehicle. The main use of titanium is in high-pressure containers for necessary fuels and gases. Lightweight containers made of titanium alloy were successfully developed on NASA's Gemini and Apollo spacecraft programs, using the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Apollo spacecraft on the iron pressure vessel, has been practically used without precedent safety factor of 1.5 design, previously designed with a safety factor of about 4. In order to further lighten the orbital space shuttle high-pressure storage vessel, the method of adding white sparrow fibers (aromatic organic fibers produced by the U.S. company DuPont) to the surface of the thin-walled titanium vessel was used.
Pressure vessel for storing compressed gases. The "Prowler" satellite and booster share 14 titanium containers, reducing their mass by a total of 272 kg.
Pressure vessel for storing liquid propellants. "The Apollo spacecraft used about 50 pressure vessels, 85% of which were made of titanium. The Hercules III transition stage engine has lost 35% of its weight by switching to titanium propellant tanks.
2. Engine casing
Solid fuel rocket engine casing. "Minuteman" intercontinental missile second-stage rocket engine using Ti64 alloy weight reduction of 30% to 40%.
Liquid fuel rocket motor casing. "Apollo" lunar module descent engine combustion chamber pressure shell is made of Ti64 alloy.
3. Various structural components
Titanium alloys are also widely used in various structural components. "The pressure chamber of the Mercury spacecraft is mainly made of titanium, accounting for 80% of the weight of the cockpit. "Gemini" spacecraft titanium alloy used in seven grades, the use of titanium parts 570kg, accounting for 84% of the weight of the structure. "The brackets, clamps and fasteners of the Apollo spacecraft are all made of titanium, using a total of 68 tons of titanium.
4. Hydraulic piping
The oil pressure piping of the space shuttle uses seamless tubes made of Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy. Due to the use of this alloy, the weight can be reduced by more than 40%, and in order to reduce the sensitivity to fatigue rupture and to improve the actual life of the system, the assembly of various tubes adopts automatic molding.
