C
R
A
D
A
Problem:
The Air Force is pursuing the use of new alloys for
reinforced composite parts for aircraft. These new alloys possess excellent toughness and
high temperature creep resistance. However, these alloys are too hard for conventional
rolling from ingots to foil thin enough to make fiber-reinforced composites. Ribbon
Technology Corporation was looking for a way to evaluate the feasibility of pack rolling
direct cast titanium aluminde strip into foil, including the pack design, for commercial
use. A process was developed to apply a rapid solidification casting technology to direct
cast fiber and strip material. This process makes strips of metal by passing molten metal
over a rotating wheel. The strips, however, are too thick to make fiber reinforced
composites for Air Force use. Together, Ribbon Technology and the Air Force Research
Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/ML) partnered together to
assist each other in solving these problems.
Solution: Under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), AFRL/ML scientists developed a novel rolling process to form new military alloys. This rolling process uses a special encapsulation technique to roll hard-to-work alloys, in this case titanium aluminide, and allows the rolling of thin foils from billets of titanium aluminide. Ribbon Technology supplied material and manufacturing expertise to test the process. AFRL provided testing and analysis of the process materials.
Benefits:
- AFRL benefits from expanded commercial use of the special rolling process.
- AFRL benefits by getting high strength, high temperature metals reinforced by fibers for high temperature, high efficiency engines and hypersonic aircraft skins.
- Airlines benefit by getting higher efficiency, high temperature jet engines. The savings in fuel can be passed on to passengers.
- Ribbon Technology will benefit by the use of techniques developed under this CRADA for rolling titanium aluminide foils in its existing business.
Current Status:
- This CRADA is complete
