Beryllium-aluminium casting alloy stronger, stiffer and lighter than aluminium

Beryllium-aluminium casting alloy stronger, stiffer and lighter than aluminium

Beryllium-aluminium casting alloy stronger, stiffer and lighter than aluminium

A new BeAl alloy for secondary structural applications in a wide variety of aerospace, defence, and commercial products requiring lighter weight, higher stiffness, and better vibration damping than aluminium and titanium is available from Starmet Corporation of Concord, Massachusetts, USA.

Starmet's Beralcast 363 is reported to be lighter than aluminium and titanium, has higher ductility than pure beryllium (3.5 per cent vs. 2 per cent), and is several times stiffer than either aluminium, magnesium, or aluminium-based metal matrix composites. Twenty-two per cent lighter than aluminium and three-and-a-half times stiffer, this alloy claims to combine the best properties of beryllium and aluminium and can be mass produced by investment casting into complex shapes retiring little machining.

Reportedly allowing designers to achieve weight savings up to 50 per cent over conventional aluminium castings, Starmet's Beralcast 363 is said to be ideally suited for use as secondary structural components in aerospace and aviation, or where damping characteristics are of primary concern such as in the computer, robotics, and sporting goods industries. Typical properties include 2.16g/cm³ @25°C density, tensile strength of 289.6Mpa @25°C, and 15.3 µm/m°C CTE @25°C.

Beralcast 363 is said to be ideally suited for use as secondary structural components

Details from Starmet Corporation. Tel: +1 (978) 369 5410; Fax: +1 (978) 369 4045; E-mail: sales@starmet.com