CHEN Kaixuan1 ,WANG Weimin1 ,CAO Yudong2 ,WEI Chenghao1 ,WANG Zidong1,3
1. School of Materials and Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
2. Institute No. 25 of the Second Academy, China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp. , Beijing 100854;
3. State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Abstract
Significance Beryllium-aluminum (Be-Al) alloys have garnered attention due to their outstanding properties, including excellent specific strength, high specific stiffness, superior thermal stability, exceptional toughness, and strong corrosion resistance.These alloys combine the high elastic modulus and low density of Be with the processing ease and high toughness of Al, making them ideal materials for rocket and aircraft manufacturing. This paper reviews the current research status of Be-Al alloys and provides valuable insights for their development and application.
Progress The article summarizes the characteristics, development status, preparation methods, the impact of element additions on properties, and application areas of Be-Al alloys. The low mutual solubility between Be and Al gives Be-Al alloys a unique microstructure and metal matrix composite characteristics. Large-scale production of Be-Al alloys has been achieved abroad,and research on their excellent physical and chemical properties has deepened. Mainstream preparation processes such as powder metallurgy and investment casting are discussed, along with new techniques for producing high-performance Be-Al alloys,such as laser stereolithography and self-exhaust pressure infiltration. The latter has shown a strengthening enhancement of over 100%. Alloying with elements like germanium (Ge), copper (Cu), scandium (Sc), and zirconium (Zr) can effectively optimize the microstructure of Be-Al alloys, improving their mechanical properties. Be-Al alloys are now widely used in aerospace components and optical systems.
Conclusions and Prospects China’s production capacity for high-end beryllium alloys needs improvement. In the future, more investment in research and optimization of Be-Al alloy preparation processes is needed to advance their applications in aerospace, defense technology, and optical systems. 1) Developing advanced Be powder and Be-Al alloy powder preparation techniques is critical for enhancing alloy performance and expanding their application range. 2) The self-exhaust pressure infiltration combined with hot extrusion has produced Be-Al alloys with excellent microstructure and performance. However, this process has not yet been scaled up for industrial production, requiring further refinement to support Be-Al alloy development. 3)Developing environmentally friendly and efficient methods for Be resource utilization will reduce the cost of Be and its products,enhancing market competitiveness and driving the development of related industries. 4) Compared to aluminum alloy systems,alloying studies on Be-Al alloys are still relatively limited and lack in-depth theoretical research. 5) To promote the application of Be-Al alloys in China, breakthroughs are needed in material preparation, composition optimization, strengthening mechanisms, and precision forming technologies.
Keywords:beryllium; beryllium-aluminum alloy; materials forming; alloying; beryllium reserve; aerospace
Get Citation:CHEN Kaixuan, WANG Weimin, CAO Yudong, et al. Research status and applications of beryllium-aluminum alloys[J].China Powder Science and Technology,2025,31(1):1−16.
Received:2024-08-11.Revised:2024-09-13,Online:2024-10-12.
Funding Project:国家自然科学基金青年科学基金项目,编号:52101119;北京市自然科学基金青年科学基金项目,编号:2214072;第七届中国科协青年人才托举工程项目,编号:2021QNRC001。
First Author:陈凯旋(1991—),男,副教授,博士,硕士生导师,中国科协青年人才托举工程人才,研究方向为先进金属材料。E-mail:chenkxustb@126. com。
Corresponding Author:王自东(1964—),男,教授,博士,研究方向为金属加工理论和技术。E-mail: wangzd@mater. ustb. edu. cn。
DOI:10.13732/j.issn.1008-5548.2025.01.014
CLC No:TB4;TG146.2+4 Type Code:A
Serial No:1008-5548(2025)01-0001-16