Aluminum alloys used in the aerospace industry are high strength and able to perform well in harsh and challenging environments. 7075 aluminum is the alloy of choice when it comes to manufacturing aircraft parts, and 5052 aluminum, which is not quite as strong but has more weldability, is sometimes used as well.
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Because aircraft are subject to unique stresses and conditions, metals used for their construction must feature unusually high qualities of stress and corrosion resistance as well as reasonably light weight and ease of formation. One of the most common aircraft aluminum varieties is 7075 aluminum, which is an alloy of aluminum and zinc. The alloy is characterized by its high strength, which sets it aside as an aircraft construction material from many other metals. 7075 is also considered to be the strongest aluminum alloy. In addition to its high strength, 7075 features good high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, both of which characteristics are necessary qualities for aircraft construction materials. Aircrafts such as helicopters, jets, commercial airliners, spacecraft and defense aircraft all can be built with lightweight yet strong aluminum in their airframes, wings and fuel tanks.
7075 and 5052 aluminum are made into sheets, coils, plates, rods, bars, tubes and billets, which are all used in the manufacture of aircraft. The alternatives to aluminum are wood, which is lighter than but not as strong as aluminum, and steel, many varieties of which are often stronger than aluminum but also much heavier. Aircraft metal must be strong yet lightweight, and most aluminum varieties exhibit good strength-to-weight ratio, making them among the first choices in airplane construction. Because of the harsh conditions inherent to high altitude flight, aircraft exteriors must be constructed of a substance that can resist those conditions. The aluminum used on the exteriors of aircraft must have high corrosion resistance and therefore often undergo corrosion treatments before painting. In many cases, aircraft aluminum will be anodized; anodization is the addition of an oxide layer to the surface of a metal. The consequence of anodization is the near-elimination of the risk of further oxidization, which is a form of corrosion. Painting an oxide layer can also be easier than paining a non-anodized surface, which is an additional benefit of the process.
