DRDO develops High Strength Beta Titanium Alloy

• DRDO has indigenously developed a High Strength Metastable Beta Titanium Alloy containing Vanadium, Iron and Aluminium (Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al)
• It has been developed on industrial scale for applications in aerospace structural forgings by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a premier Hyderabad based laboratory of DRDO.
• These alloys are already being used by many developed nations in recent times.

About Alloy

• It is a substitute for the relatively heavier traditional Ni-Cr-Mo structural steels to achieve weight savings
• The excellent forgeability of high strength-to-weight ratio Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al alloy facilitates manufacture of intricately configured components for aerospace applications.
• Some of the components which may be forged from this alloy include slat/flap tracks, landing gear, and drop link in landing gear
• Unique features: higher strength, ductility, fatigue, and fracture toughness – making them increasingly attractive for aircraft structural applications.
• Additionally, their relatively lower lifetime cost, owing to superior corrosion resistance in comparison to steels justify the use of this expensive material in India.
• DMRL has carried out raw material selection, alloy melting, thermo-mechanical processing, ultrasonics-based Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE), heat treatment, mechanical characterisation, and type certification in active collaboration with several agencies.
• Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has identified over 15 steel components which may be replaced by Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al alloy forgings in the near future with a potential of 40 per cent weight savings.
• The landing gear drop link is the first component forged successfully by ADA at HAL, Bengaluru with DMRL’s involvement and duly certified for airworthiness.

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL)

• It is part of DRDO labs and is located in Defence Research Complex, Hyderabad.
• It is responsible for the development of advanced metallic and ceramic materials, and related processing technologies, for various critical defence applications.
• Core Competences of the laboratory are:

1. Product engineering, production support and performance analysis of metals, alloys and composites
2. Process development and surface engineering
3. Design and development of speciality alloys, inter-metallics, ceramics and composites
4. Extractive metallurgy of titanium and magnesium