Development of High Performance Steels for Mast Applications

QuesTek Innovations has computationally-designed and developed several alloys that have advantages for use in rotorcraft masts over conventional alloys. These secondary-hardening, martensitic alloys (Ferrium^® C61™, Ferrium M54™, and Ferrium S53^®) are being used to reduce weight, increase power density, and/or increase resistance to corrosion. Three commercially-available QuesTek alloys are suitable for mast applications. Ferrium C61 is a gear steel with about 30% higher core fatigue strength than AISI 9310 (AMS 6265) for significant weight savings in masts with integral gearing. Ferrium M54 has an outstanding combination of strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance comparable to AerMet^®100 (AMS 6532) with lower raw material costs. Ferrium S53 provides excellent strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance with improved corrosion resistance compared to typical 4xxx-series alloys. QuesTek is actively working with rotorcraft manufacturers on the production of demonstration components for rotorcraft masts on several platforms.