High purity gases, specialty gas mixtures, specialty equipment and comprehensive services from the LASERLINE® range provide maximum productivity and highest quality when cutting & welding aluminium and titanium in the aerospace manufacturing process.
Liquid oxygen, hydrogen and nitrous oxide have also been used in recent decades as rocket fuels and oxidants.
The most important rare gas used in aerospace is Xenon, which has a very high ionization potential, high density and low heat capacity. Ion engines are an innovative technique to propel rockets and satellites through space. Highly purified Xenon is used in such ion thrust propulsion. An ion beam is generated by initially ionizing Xenon and then using an electrical or magnetic field to accelerate the ions. In addition, the high molecular weight of Xenon improves the specific impulse performance of the electron thrusters, which gives them a very powerful thrust-to-weight ratio.
In outer space, the airtightness of the satellite cabin is vital. Helium or helium mixtures together with a specialised mass spectrometer as a "sniffer" can be used in the leak testing of the cabin.
In addition, our expertise in heat treatment and stress screening also enables aerospace manufacturers to achieve the desired microstructure, physical properties and surface properties of components.