We haven't stopped challenging the blue sky since 1903, when we first escaped gravity.In a short period of 100 years, human beings have invented various kinds of aircraft. Our unremitting pursuit of improving the performance of aircraft promotes the continuous progress of the aviation industry. From the first wooden plane to fly a short distance, to the Boeing 787 across the ocean, human beings have broken one record after another with the continuous progress of science and technology.

The progress of aviation industry is inseparable from the basic material science, among which the application of aluminum alloy material greatly reduces the weight of aircraft and improves the performance of aircraft.Aluminum alloy has excellent performance, strong processability and light quality. The aircraft parts made of aluminum alloy account for more than 60% of the total weight of the aircraft.Although various synthetic materials have emerged in recent years, aluminum alloy is still the most important metal material in aircraft manufacturing.

Aluminum - lithium alloy is the main material for the manufacture of fuselage.Because of the high chemical activity of lithium, the smelting process needs to be carried out in a vacuum furnace, and the casting environment also needs special treatment.In al-li alloy, each addition of 1% lithium, alloy density reduces by 3%, elastic modulus increases by 6%, the price is only 10% of composite materials, is a strong competitor of composite materials.

Aluminum-lithium alloy has great development potential and market prospect. Currently, the United States is the world's largest producer of aluminum-lithium alloy, accounting for more than 55% of the global production capacity.Russia has a 25 per cent share, while the rest of the world has a combined 20 per cent.Alcoa is a leader in the production of aluminum and lithium alloys and continues to expand its capacity by virtue of its technological advantages. Alcoa alone accounts for half of the U.S. production capacity and about a quarter of the world's total production capacity.

Since the appearance of aluminum-lithium alloy, the upgrading process of enterprises has not been interrupted. The new generation of lighter, stronger and cheaper metal has moved from laboratory to production line and entered large-scale application.For example, the Varese research and development center in France of the American aluminum company gallium took 10 years to develop a new aluminum-lithium alloy called "AIRFARE", which is 25% lighter than traditional aluminum alloy, resistant to corrosion and metal fatigue, with a maintenance interval of up to 12 years, 100% recyclable, and can be used for all parts of aircraft.