A Review of Aerospace Materials: Applications and Necessity of Magnesium Alloy‐Based Sandwich Composites in Aircraft Components

ABSTRACT

The aerospace industry continuously seeks lightweight, high‐strength materials to enhance the fuel efficiency and structural performance of the aircraft. Magnesium (Mg) alloys have great advantages with low density, high specific strength, biocompatibility, and excellent electromagnetic shielding and have emerged as ideal and promising materials for weight reduction in aerospace applications. Additionally, sandwich composite materials are important for the current wide range of engineering uses. It has growing applications in aircraft, missile, and spacecraft structures due to their high stiffness and strength‐to‐weight ratio, improved impact resistance, and excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. The most commonly used composite materials in the aircraft sector are metal matrix composites, fiber‐reinforced polymers, fiber–metal laminates, and sandwich composites. This review article discusses the use of different materials within the aircraft sector, including metal alloys, fibers, polymers, and ceramic‐based composites. In particular, the review focuses on various types of magnesium alloys, examining their fabrication process, mechanical properties, microstructural characteristics, and relevance in aerospace applications. It also highlights the increasing significance of magnesium alloy‐based sandwich composites for current and future aircraft applications, with AZ series alloys serving as a prominent example.