Non-Metallic

Materials: Wood
and Fabrics
Overview
Woods
Plastics
Transparent Plastics
Fabric
Rubber

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Woods

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 Types of Woods

◉ Solid Wood
Sawn quarterly, Spars

◉ Laminated Wood
Glued Wood

◉ Plywood
Thin sheets (3 or more) of wood board; glued
and pressed
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Value – Price - Premium
Having the best or as much
applicable wood for an aircraft
part will promote integrity for
the aircraft.

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Specie
s of
Wood

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Species of Woods

SPRUCE WOOD
◉ Most used in
aircraft
construction
◉ Free from defects
◉ High Strength-to-
Weight Ratio
◉ High Quality Wood
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Species of Woods

Douglas Fir
◉ Strength is far
better than of
spruce
◉ Heavier
◉ Difficult to work
than spruce with
the tendency of
splitting 9
Species of Woods

Noble Fir
◉ Lighter than
Spruce
◉ Equal or superior
to Spruce in all
properties
◉ Lower hardness
and shock
resistance to 10
Species of Woods

Northern White
Pine
◉ Excellent working
and gluing
characteristics
◉ Strength is inferior
to Spruce

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Species of Woods

Balsa Wood
◉ Exceptionally light
weight
◉ Lacks structural
strength
◉ Used as a core
material for panels
for sandwich-type
requiring light weight 12
c

Mahogany
◉ Heavier than Spruce
◉ Stronger than Spruce
◉ Most used in face
sheet production of
plywood in aircraft
skins

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Species of Woods
Birch
◉ Heavy hardwood
◉ Good shock-resistance
properties
◉ Recommended for face
plies of plywood used in
reinforcement plates on
wing spars and in
propeller made from
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The question is how can we

completely identify the
appropriate wood to be
customed on aircrafts?

“
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 Quality of Wood

Grain Deviation Knots

◉ “Always be Straight” ◉ Part where the tree
1:15 limit variation is branch sprouted from
only permitted the trunk.
Hard knots are allowed up to
3/8 inch of its dimension
Small pin knots are allowed if
it does not cause any grain
imperfections

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 Quality of Wood

Pitch Pockets Compression Wood

◉ Imperfection caused ◉ Tilted trees which have a
by small holes in the denser and weaker wood
annual rings of a structure is NEVER
tree. ALLOWED for aircraft
Allowed to be used if construction.
they are 14 inches apart
and with a volume of
11/2-inches x 1/8-inch x
1/8-inch deep.
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 Quality of Wood

Compression Failure Check, Shakes, and

◉ Irregular and thread- Splits
like line on the grains ◉ Check is a crack running
Different form through or across the
compression wood annual grain
◉ Also NEVER a good ◉ Shake is a crack or
wood for aircraft separation in which it
construction and can be seen from a
repair detached two annual
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 ANY FORM OF DECAY
Stain and Decay IS NOT PERMISSIBLE
◉ Stains are caused by a decay on the ◉ Decay on wood is caused by fungi
wood usually appearing as streaks in growing in damp woods that eats
the grains. its fiber.
Shows as an evidence of decays Varies in color red to white
can be minimized by properly drying the wood
up to 20%,
and the application of wood varnishes for the
wood to be protected from the elements .
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Plastics

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 Thermoplastics
Cellulose acetate
◉ Transparent
◉ Light weight
◉ Tendency to shrink
◉ Tendency to turn its transparent
appearance to slightly yellow
shade

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 Thermoplastics
Acrylic
◉ Also known as Lucite, Plexiglass,
or Perspex
◉ Stiffer than cellulose
◉ Clear transparent appearance

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 Thermosetting
Polyester Resin
◉ Low-cost
◉ Fast treating
◉ Common handling
techniques for Fiber-
reinforced polyester:
• Autoclaving • Wet layup
• Pultrusion • Injection
• Filament molding
winding • Metal molding
• Press
(vacuum bag)
molding 26
 Thermosetting
Vinyl Ester Resin
◉ All properties and
characteristics are the
same as Polyester resin
◉ Higher corrosion
resistance than
polyester resin
◉ Higher mechanical
properties than polyester
resin 27
 Thermosetting
Phenolic Resin
◉ Also known as Phenol-
formaldehyde resin
◉ Shows low smoke and
flammability
characteristics
◉ Used in interior
components
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 Thermosetting
Usually longer to process than polyester
Epoxy Resin ◉
resin
◉ Have different variety of viscosity from ◉ Common handling techniques:
liquid to solid ○ Autoclaving
◉ Used as structural adhesives and for prepreg ○ Pultrusion
materials ○ Filament winding
◉ High strength and modulus ○ Press (vacuum bag) molding
◉ Low volatility
○ Resin transfer molding
◉ Exceptional adhesion
◉ Low shrinkage
◉ Exceptional chemical resistance
◉ Ease of use
◉ Brittle
◉ Reduced mechanical properties when
subjected to moisture
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 Thermosetting
Polyimides
◉ Mostly used in high-temperature
settings e.g.:
○ Airframe structure
○ Hot engine
○ Circuit boards
◉ Excellent high thermal resistance
◉ Oxidative stability
◉ Low amount of thermal
expansion
◉ Have high-temperature curing
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 Thermosetting
Polybenzimidazoles
(PBI)
◉ Best used in environments
where dangerously high heat-
resistant resin is needed.
◉ Available in the form of fiber
and adhesive

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 Thermosetting
Bismaleimides (BMI)
◉ Higher temperature and
toughness characteristic than
epoxy resin
◉ Used in airplane engines and
high-temperature components
◉ Common handling techniques is
similar to epoxy resin:
○ Autoclave
○ Injection molding
○ Resin transfer molding
○ Sheet molded compound (SMC)
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Fabrics

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 Fabrics
Fabric Terminologies
◉ Warp—the direction along the length of fabric
◉ Fill or weave—the direction across the width of the fabric.
◉ Count—the number of threads per inch in warp or filling.
◉ Ply—the number of yarns making up a thread.
◉ Bias—a cut, fold, or seam made diagonally to the warp or fill threads.
◉ Pinked edge—an edge which has been cut by machine or special pinking shears in a
continuous series of Vs to prevent raveling.
◉ Selvage edge—the edge of cloth, tape, or webbing woven to prevent raveling.
◉ Greige—condition of polyester fabric upon completion of the production process before
being heat shrunk.
◉ Cross coat—brushing or spraying where the second coat is applied 90° to the direction
the first coat was applied. The two coats together make a single cross coat
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Fabrics

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Fabrics

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Rubber

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 Synthetic
Natural Rubber
Rubber
◉ available in different composition
◉ tensile strength, tear strength,
elasticity, flexibility, and that gives it different properties
accumulate heat buildup than of depending on where it will be
synthetic rubber. Weak from used.
chemicals

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 Rubber
Butyl
◉ Superior resistance to gas
saturation
◉ High resistance to deterioration
◉ Low water absorption
◉ Good temperature resistance
◉ Lower physical properties than
natural rubber
◉ Best used for phosphate ester
hydraulic fluid (skydrol), silicone
fluids, ketones, acetones, and
gases 41
 Rubber
Buna S
◉ Have the same physical and
processing characteristic to
natural rubber
◉ Water resistant
◉ Good resistance to heat in the
absence of harsh flexing
◉ Poor resistance to oil, gasoline,
solvents, and concentric acids
◉ Better substitute to natural
rubber
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 Rubber
Buna N
◉ Also known as nitrile rubber
◉ Exceptional resistance to
hydrocarbons and solvents
◉ Low resistance to solvents at low
temperature
◉ Good resistance to abrasion
◉ Used in automotive and aviation
industry to handle oil and
gasoline hoses, seals, tank lining,
and for gaskets.
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 Rubber
Neoprene
◉ Superior oil resistance
◉ Good to use with nonaromatic
gasoline but bad with aromatic
gasoline
◉ Have similarity to natural rubber
in the appearance and texture
◉ Tougher than natural rubber
◉ Tear and abrasive resistance are
less than of natural rubber
◉ Exceptional resistance to the
elements 44
 Rubber
Thiokol
◉ Also known as polysulfide rubber
◉ Best resistance to deterioration
◉ Worst physical characteristics
◉ Have similarity in usage as Buna-
N

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 Rubber
Silicone
◉ Best to use where flexibility is
needed in high and low
temperatures
◉ Good resistance to oils but
adversely reactive to aromatic
and nonaromatic gasoline

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 Rubber
Silastic
◉ One of the best kind of silicones
◉ Good for insulating electrical and
electronic components

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