Magnesium Alloys in Aircraft Interiors

The commercial aircraft market is forecast to steadily grow over the next two decades. Part of this growth is driven by the desire of airlines to replace older models in their fleet with newer, more fuel efficient designs, to realize lower operating costs and to address the rising cost of aviation fuel. As such the aircraft OEMs are being set more and more demanding mass targets on their new platforms. The cabin interior, including furnishings and operational items, makes up 19% of the overall aircraft weight. This makes it a significant area for weight savings. Modern magnesium alloys can offer up to 30% mass reduction when directly replacing aluminum components, which makes it very attractive to designers and engineers. However until recently there have been restrictions on the use of magnesium in aircraft interiors that have been enforced through the SAE and the FAA. The SAE specification AS8049 defines the engineering requirements of a commercial aircraft seat and restricts the use of magnesium. This is currently under review and is scheduled to be revised to allow the use of magnesium. The FAA have been working for the last seven years to assess the safety issues associated with the introduction of magnesium into the cabin interior. This has culminated with a lifting of the ban of magnesium and the development of a method for characterizing the flammability of magnesium alloys and criteria that describes the behavior of acceptable alloys for use in aircraft. These topics will be discussed in greater detail along with developments in the use of magnesium alloys in aircraft seat applications.