Novel fiber reinforced metal laminates for aerospace applications. A review

The aircraft industry chooses to use aluminum alloys in the majority of its aircraft designs. However, aluminum alloys are now facing increased competition from Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) and lately from Fiber Reinforced Metal Laminates (FRMLs). These new materials offer substantial weight savings together with increased strength. In an attempt to couple the attributes of both metal and composite materials, FRMLs were developed by bonding a fiber-adhesive prepreg with aluminum alloy sheets. This review discusses the development of FRMLs and gives a description of the various types of FRMLs that are commercially available. The properties of FRMLs are reviewed with particular emphasis placed on the fatigue properties and notched strength behavior of these laminates. Aramid-based laminates are primarily discussed, but reference is made to both glass and carbon based laminates and their respective benefits over the aramid-based laminates. Proposed models are also discussed for both fatigue and residual strength modelling. Finally, based on the above discussions, future research areas are proposed.