Article: Beryllium-aluminum alloys raise stiffness of spacecraft.(METALS)

The feasibility of beryllium-aluminum alloys to fabricate spacecraft component parts has reportedly been demonstrated by a team at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. The project team succeeded in producing multiples of near-net-shape and net-shape spacecraft component parts, and in joining subassemblies to make complex structures. These advances could streamline manufacturing processes and lead to dramatic cost reductions for the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense.

Be-Al alloys offer a unique combination of low density (~0.08 lb/in.[.sup.3] or ~2.2 g/[cm.sup.3]) and high stiffness (~30 Msi or ~200 GPa). The ...

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