The aerospace industry is a major player in global economics. Apart from transportation of goods and people across countries and continents, aerospace also includes rocket technologies which put various materials into space, either on orbit or to the International Space Station. This article delves into the role of stainless steel in the aerospace industry and what the future holds. There are several innovations and emerging trends that will certainly change aerospace for good.
Introduction to Stainless Steel in Aerospace
Stainless steel is a popular material for use in aerospace. As a stable alloy containing chromium, stainless steel is highly resistance to corrosion, is light and can sustain intense pressures. From the early advancements in rocket and airplane technologies, stainless steel has remained a reliable option for airplane and rocket manufacturers for its cheap cost of production and availability of raw materials. Apart from being highly pliable at intense temperatures, stainless steel does not rust and dissipates heat very fast, making it the best material for aerospace industry.
With development of new alloys, stainless steel will continue to play a major part in the aerospace industry, even as further liberalization in the industry becomes apparent. Smaller companies will need cheaper alloys and materials for use in rocket technologies and development of lighter aircraft. In either case, stainless steel will continue to play a major role in the aerospace industry.
Emerging Trends of Stainless Steel Usage in Aerospace
As material science experiences rapid development on account of emergence of better technologies, stainless steel usage in aerospace is also poised to experience rapid changes. Already, there are major innovations and changes impacting use of stainless steel in aerospace. One major innovation is in the development of better alloys in aerospace. Existing alloys containing chromium have been in use for several years of aerospace development, however, with development of better alloys using emerging technologies, more heat resistant stainless steel have been development for use in faster airplanes, and rockets. With advanced technologies, artificial alloys have been mass produced to strengthen stainless steel, making it more durable and still light enough for use in space.
Another avenue of innovation is in advancements of better manufacturing techniques. It was previously nearly impossible, expensive and difficult to adopt new materials in manufacturing of stainless steel alloys. Theoretically, there are hundreds of different stainless steel alloys that can be developed to tackle the disadvantages of stainless steel over other more expensive metals such as titanium. However, with emergent manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, it has become easier to incorporate different materials with better properties. For example, combining carbon fiber with stainless steel creates a much better alloy, but this process was previously impossible on account of the inefficient manufacturing processes.
Advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Automation
It’s virtually impossible to think of a future in material science without artificial intelligence. With AI, developments in stainless steel manufacturing and applications have gone a notch higher. AI has enabled material scientists to theorize and create new alloys for stainless steel. This development comes with the realization of better manufacturing techniques. With greater automation, manufacturing of stainless steel components in aerospace will reduce costs and therefore make aerospace more liberal. Smaller companies will emerge offering niche services. An example of how this has rapidly changed the aerospace landscape is the development of personal drones. Without the development of lighter alloys, modern drones for private enterprise would largely be impossible. Development of faster drones will require cheaper stainless steel and this can only be achieved through automation and development of cheaper and better alloys.
Future Challenges in use of Stainless Steel in Aerospace
There are apparent challenges in use of stainless steel in aerospace. The main challenge is the emergent of new materials and technologies. Carbon fiber is commonly cited as the main competitor for stainless steel. As technology improves, carbon fiber is getting stronger, more durable and has better heat resistance than metals such as stainless steel and titanium. Given that carbon fiber can be developed faster, cheaper and more sustainably than stainless steel, many companies are shifting towards carbon fiber as a replacement to stainless steel. Therefore, for stainless steel to retain its premium status in aerospace, further development in sustainable manufacturing need to be in effect.
Stainless steel manufacturing companies have resorted to recycling as a way to streamline their access to raw materials. Though recycling is one way of sustainable manufacturing of stainless steel, it requires a more complex supply chain as compared to traditional mining-based manufacturing. This opens up further risks in access to global markets, thereby choking emerging markets from accessing cheap and readily available stainless steel for their aerospace industries. It is now clear why emerging markets’ entry into the aerospace industry is largely supported by the development of new materials such as carbon fiber, which does not require complex supply chains for raw materials, labor or even technologies.
Outlook for Stainless steel in Aerospace
There are key areas of growth for stainless steel in aerospace. For starters, there is increased attention to space exploration and applications. Stainless steel continues to be the most popular metal alloy for use in space applications due to its stability, heat resistance and lightweight composition at high altitudes and speed. It is highly versatile and provides better avenue for new alloys as compared to most other emergent materials such as carbon fiber. Furthermore, stainless steel as a high resistance towards radiation and that’s why its impact in space technology cannot be easily downplayed even for future applications.
In conclusion, stainless steel has far greater opportunities in aerospace and with innovative technologies, it will continue to play a major role in aerospace. With greater focus on sustainability, stainless steel offers the best avenue for recycling and up scaling using integration with other materials. This development will lead to cheaper, lighter and stronger stainless steel alloys and in the long run this will lead to further development in the aerospace industry.
