Those who have professional expertise in the airline industry know the very important role structural metals play in the construction of aircraft, particularly in the construction of airframes. This knowledge is key to the successful creation and maintenance of aircrafts, as any deviation from the specifically prescribed metals in the construction of aircraft pieces can lead to disaster.
Most of us are familiar with the term “anodizing,” but how many of us actually know what it means? Anodizing is a process that helps to create a thicker than usual layer of aluminum oxide over a base material. Though this process can happen naturally, anodizing speeds the process along, which is helpful for protecting a piece of aluminum that contains other elements in an alloy. While pure aluminum is naturally resistant to corrosion, an aluminum alloy may corrode, which is why a layer of thick aluminum oxide is sometimes put over the alloy to protect it by the process of anodizing.
For a person who is not involved in the world of metal alloys on a professional level, the terms “ferrous” and “non-ferrous” may leave you feeling a bit confused – the same way you felt on the morning of that final exam when you realized you never got around to studying the chapter on heavy metals. People who work with metals, however, realize that these distinctions are important, so here’s a quick guide to the differences between ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Today’s fast-paced developments in technology can sometimes take our breath away. No sooner have we gotten acquainted with one form of high-tech convenience than another one comes along to make our lives move that much faster. The irony is that as we take in all the conveniences of our high-tech world, we also tend to take it for granted.
Thermal conductivity is the term for a metal’s ability to conduct heat. This is an important quality to understand as it has serious implications for a metal’s industrial use, especially when very high temperatures are a concern, like in an aircraft engine.
The level of thermal conductivity stays relatively constant for pure metals; but in metal alloys, it will go up as temperatures increase.
