Odisha: A research team at National Institute of Technology Rourkela has developed a lightweight, high-durability material that could significantly enhance aircraft landing gear performance.
Landing gear systems must endure extreme stress during landing and taxiing, while supporting the aircraft’s weight and repeated runway impact. Traditionally made from aluminium and its alloys, these components are lightweight but often face durability limitations under such high-stress conditions.
Addressing this challenge, Prof. Syed Nasimul Alam, Associate Professor in the department of metallurgical and materials engineering, along with his research group including Dr. Arka Ghosh, Dr. Ashutosh Das, Dr. Pankaj Shrivastava, Mr. Nityananda Sahoo, Parth Patel, and Dr. Velaphi Msomi from the University of South Africa has developed an advanced aluminium-based hybrid nanocomposite. The findings have been published in the journal Materials Letters.
Nanocomposites consist of materials engineered at the nanoscale over 100,000 times thinner than a human hair allowing superior mechanical properties. The team incorporated carbon nanotubes to enhance compressive strength and load-bearing capacity, while graphite nanoplatelets further improved overall performance. To ensure thermal stability, hexagonal boron nitride was added.
A key innovation lies in the uniform dispersion of these nanoparticles within the aluminium matrix, achieved using high-frequency sound waves. The mixture was then subjected to high-pressure compaction and heating in an oxygen-free environment, producing a dense and strongly bonded structure suitable for aerospace use.
Explaining the breakthrough, Prof. Alam said the hybrid nanocomposites developed through spark plasma sintering (SPS) exhibit excellent wear resistance due to a synergistic load-bearing mechanism. The process forms a three-dimensional reinforcing network that enhances structural stability and load transfer. Additionally, a thin protective surface layer significantly reduces wear.
The material shows strong potential for applications in defence aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where both lightweight properties and durability are critical. Compared to ultra-high-strength steels, titanium alloys, and conventional aluminium alloys, the new nanocomposite offers an estimated 40–60 per cent improvement in cost-effectiveness.
The innovation could lead to reduced maintenance costs, improved reliability, and safer aerospace operations. The team already holds a patent for the powder-mixing technique used in nanocomposite development and is in the process of filing another for this new technology. Their next step involves scaling up production of larger components using the Powder Metallurgy route.
Aligned with the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, this development positions India as a potential contributor to next-generation aerospace materials.
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