AERO | Aerospace Materials

Aerospace Materials

In the aerospace industry, there are many materials essential to the process of creating and maintaining the parts and components that make things work. They help our rockets take off, our jet fighters fly and our airplanes land safely.

Many of the materials that people use in everyday life are used in the aerospace industry as well, such as fuel, paint and cleaning materials. While these materials are safe when used carefully and properly, much like the materials found under the average kitchen sink, AERO believes it's important to educate and inform people on the potential health and safety risks of high volume use of these materials.

Maintaining Essential Parts

Many parts of airplanes and other aerospace products must be cleaned regularly. Everything from metal hulls, to machined parts, to the seats inside an airplane need to be cleaned regularly in order to ensure safety from corrosion, long-term durability and health for the passengers.

These cleaning materials don't just keep a passenger plane clean and germ free. They also remove oil and other materials that could make a part function ineffectively; they clean metal surfaces before painting; and they help ensure our inventions can withstand the demanding environments of the runway, the atmosphere and even exploring our solar system.

The Use of Solvents

For work in many of these areas, the most common cleaners in the aerospace industry for many decades were Solvents.

The materials that make up solvents can be found in much of the food we eat, the clothes we wear and what we use to clean around the house. Most solvents pose little danger in small doses—but in some cases, and in large amounts, these solvents can present environmental problems and health risks.

A Cleaner, Better Way

In response to air emissions/site cleanup requirements and new OSHA standards, the aerospace industry phased out a number of these solvents beginning in the mid-1980s. As time passed, our concern about the possibility of ozone depletion, soil and groundwater contamination, vapor intrusion and other risks spurred AIA members into using alternative cleaning materials rather than using some chemical solvents. Through extensive research and investigations, we continue to discover suitable substitutions for chemical solvents, as well as substitutions for other substances in our processes that have potential health risks.

The alternative cleaning methods we use today include water, citrus, or alcohol-based cleaners, providing for a safer and healthier environment. Today, these alternative cleaners are the aerospace industry standard.

AERO is dedicated to upholding our industry-wide pledge to support Regulation & Responsibility. We believe that expert opinions and sound science should be used to assess the risks resulting from the high volume use of these solvents, and we believe in an open and transparent process that keeps the public informed of what they can do to avoid health risks in their own lives.