The performance requirements for parts in the aerospace field are "strict" - it needs to work stably for a long time in harsh environments such as high temperature, high pressure, strong radiation, extreme temperature difference, etc., and the control of weight and accuracy is extremely strict. With its unique advantages in high-performance material molding and complex structure manufacturing, powder metallurgy technology has successfully broken through a number of "stuck neck" technologies, which is the use of China's aerospace industry.Development provides key support. From aircraft engines to spacecraft structural parts, the "figure" of powder metallurgy can be seen everywhere.

Aircraft engines are the "heart" in the aerospace field. The manufacture of their core components, turbine discs and combustion chambers, have long relied on traditional forging processes, but traditional processes have problems such as uneven grains and difficult density to control, and cannot manufacture complex deformed structures. Powder metallurgy has completely solved this problem through the process of "high-temperature alloy powder + hot isostatic sintering". Take the turbine disk as an example, nickel-based high-temperature alloy powder is used and sintered in a hot isostatic pressure environment of 1200℃ and 150MPa, which can form a uniform and fine grain structure. The high-temperature strength of the components is increased by 25%, and the fatigue life is extended by more than 3 times. At the same time, it canAn integrated turbine disc with complex cooling channels is manufactured, which is 15%-20% lighter than that of traditional forgings, greatly reducing aircraft fuel consumption. The turbine disk of a certain type of domestic large aircraft engine in China is manufactured with this technology, which completely breaks the technological monopoly of European and American countries and raises the engine localization rate to more than 80%.

In the field of spacecraft, powder metallurgy also plays an irreplaceable role. Spacecraft face extreme temperature differences of -180℃ to 150℃ in space, and need to withstand strong radiation from cosmic rays. Traditional metal parts are prone to thermal expansion, cold shrinkage deformation, performance decay and other problems. The "titanium alloy-ceramic composite powder" material developed by powder metallurgy, through the precise control of powder ratio and sintering process, makes the parts bothIt has the advantages of high strength and light weight of titanium alloy, and has the high temperature resistance and radiation resistance of ceramics. It has been successfully used in solar battery brackets, attitude control engine nozzles and other components of spacecraft. An expert from an aerospace science and technology group said that after the adoption of powder metallurgy composite components, the structural weight of the spacecraft was reduced by 12%, the operating life in orbit was extended by 5 years, and the manufacturing cost was reduced by 60% compared with imported components.

In addition, powder metallurgy is also used in rocket engine nozzles, satellite antenna reflection surfaces and other fields. The nozzle of the rocket engine needs to withstand high-temperature gas washing of more than 3000℃. The powder metallurgy adopts tungsten-copper composite powder molding. Using the high-temperature resistance characteristics of tungsten and the high thermal conductivity of copper, it realizes the efficient heat dissipation of the nozzle to ensure that it does not melt or deform at extreme high temperatures;The reflective surface of the satellite antenna is manufactured by aluminum alloy powder metallurgy process. By controlling the sintering porosity, the reflective surface not only has sufficient structural strength, but also can be lightweight to meet the weight requirements of satellite launch.

From aircraft soaring in the blue sky to spacecraft exploring the universe, powder metallurgy technology continues to break through performance limits, overcome one technical problem after another, and become the "core code" of aerospace high-end equipment manufacturing. With the expansion of China's aerospace industry to deep space exploration, commercial aerospace and other fields, powder metallurgy will also play a role in the manufacture of parts in more extreme environments and more complex structures, helping to realize China's space dream.