NIT Rourkela Aircraft Nanocomposite: Lightweight material developed for landing gear durability

National Institute of Technology(NIT) Rourkela research group has developed a new aluminium-based lightweight material that may offer a longer operational life for aircraft landing gear. The development is being positioned as an attempt to solve a persistent engineering issue in aviation balancing low structural weight with the ability to withstand repeated runway impact and friction.

NIT Rourkela press note said that such a material could eventually hold practical value for defence aircraft and unmanned aerial systems, where both durability and reduced component weight are central to safer and more efficient flight operations.

As per the institute, landing gear assemblies undergo intense stress during landing, braking and taxi movement, which often leads to surface abrasion and faster component fatigue. While aluminium alloys remain widely preferred because they reduce aircraft weight, their resistance to continuous mechanical wear has remained limited. NIT Rourkela press release said its researchers worked on an alternative material architecture to improve this specific weakness without significantly increasing mass.

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The study was carried out by Syed Nasimul Alam of the department of metallurgical and materials engineering along with a multi-member scholar team and an overseas academic collaborator. The findings have been reported in the journal “Materials Letters”, the release noted.

NIT Rourkela: Composite design used

Instead of relying on a standard aluminium alloy matrix, the researchers inserted multiple nanoscale reinforcements into the base material. As per the press release, carbon nanotubes were introduced to improve load-sharing under compression, graphite nanoplatelets were used to limit frictional damage, and boron nitride was added to improve heat stability and toughness. These particles were then dispersed through ultrasonic processing before the material underwent compaction and spark plasma sintering.

Alam said the developed system showed “uniform dispersion” and stronger wear performance because of a combined load-bearing mechanism. The institute stated that this internal reinforcing framework helped generate a denser bond structure, reducing the rate at which the material loses surface integrity under stress.

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NIT Rourkela further said comparative testing showed around 65% gains in wear resistance, strength and service life over conventional metal options. It also noted that when compared with ultra-high-strength steel, titanium-based alloys and existing aerospace-grade aluminium materials used in landing gear systems, the newly developed composite may deliver nearly 40 to 60% better overall cost efficiency.

NIT Rourkela: Aircraft landing development future scope

NIT Rourkela press note indicated that the material may be relevant for defence aircraft and unmanned aerial platforms where component weight directly affects endurance and fuel efficiency. It also said researchers are now attempting to move from laboratory samples to larger fabricated parts through the powder metallurgy route for industrial-scale testing.

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The release added that if scaled successfully, the material could lower maintenance frequency and improve long-term landing gear reliability in aerospace applications.