Stronger, Lighter, Faster: Lightweighting in Aerospace Engineering with Material Characterization

The aerospace industry is embracing a growing trend toward lightweighting: using lower density materials without sacrificing mechanical strength, durability, or performance. Lightweighting offers numerous benefits, including accelerated production speed, increased energy efficiency, and improved recyclability. The approach centers on optimizing materials‘ strength‑to‑weight ratio, enabling components to maintain or exceed required mechanical performance while minimizing overall mass.

The shift towards lightweighting aligns with the aerospace industry’s broader transition toward high-volume, high-rate production, which demands faster, repeatable fabrication of aircraft, satellites, and advanced air mobility platforms. In the U.S., NASA has a goal to achieve high-rate manufacturing to improve U.S. market leadership and cost efficiency.¹

Lightweighting is driven by advancements in composites, which are now the dominant aerospace material. The market for aerospace thermoplastic composites is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% over the next six years,² offering an excellent opportunity to manufacturers who can meet this expanding market’s unique needs. However, producing the next generation of lightweight composites for aerospace does not come without distinct challenges. This blog will explore how leading researchers are optimizing lightweight, efficient composites for aerospace without compromising on strength or performance.

Sandwich structures are multilayered high-performance composites consisting of two thin face-sheets and a lightweight cellular core.³ These materials‘ high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness make them ideal for aerospace applications. Two thermal analysis techniques are applicable to refining sandwich structures, especially for aerospace. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) measures thermal stability and degradation, helping engineers choose materials that will not lose strength or fail under high temperatures. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analyzes melting, crystallization, and glass-transition behavior to help identify ideal processing conditions and select blends with the most favorable phase transitions.

Researchers developed new 4D printed biobased shape memory sandwich structures using Waters TA Instruments to evaluate different material blends.⁴ Their Waters TGA helped them evaluate the thermal stability of their new material, confirming that their different blends had almost identical thermal degradation. They studied melting and crystallization behaviors with a Waters DSC as used in ASTM D3418, which showed a decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) due to some additives and a more significant melting endotherm in one blend. This analysis is essential for determining the differences between blends and choosing one that is optimal for a specific end-use case.

Maximizing a material’s strength-to-weight ratio is supported by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), which measures the mechanical properties of materials as a function of time, temperature, and frequency. DMA supports lightweighting by quantifying storage modulus to identify high‑stiffness, low‑mass formulations, characterizing damping (tan δ) to balance structural rigidity with vibrational dissipation, and tracking thermal transitions to ensure stiffness retention across service temperatures.

High-temperature propulsion systems rely on thermosets like BMI for its Tg and thermal stability. NASA researchers used a Waters DMA to study resins for combustion chambers under typical high-temperature rocket conditions, from cryogenic to high temperature.⁵ Their test confirmed that Tg increased with higher post-cure temperatures, but with a slight reduction of modulus at all temperatures lower than the Tg onset.

New manufacturing techniques are driving lightweighting innovation: induction welding and ultrasonic welding are efficient for high-volume, precise, and consistent lightweight manufacturing. DMA supports welding design by evaluating how the storage and loss moduli change with temperature. Researchers assessed the effects of preheating on ultrasonic welding of carbon fiber/PEEK composite laminates using a Waters DMA.⁶ The data revealed that the material’s ability to dissipate energy changes with temperature, which is a primary driver for heat generation during welding. With DMA they identified the loss modulus peak, at which the material is most efficient at converting ultrasonic vibration to internal heat, and adjusted preheating to capitalize on this ability.

Another growing lightweight material production method is additive manufacturing, offering increased automation, complexity, material economy, and design flexibility. In a recent study, researchers investigated two additive manufacturing methods to produce carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP) for aeronautic secondary structures.⁷ They used a Waters DMA to study the material’s viscoelastic behavior and thermal transitions, and a Thermomechanical Analyzer (TMA) to measure dimensional changes as a function of time, temperature, and force. They found that printing parameters significantly influenced dimensional stability.

Finally, thermal analysis is critical for predicting the end-use performance and safety of new lightweight materials. For example, in the development of a composite T-joint for airplane fuselages and wings, researchers used DMA, rheology, and DSC to study how the joint responds under service conditions and ensure that it would remain stable during flight.⁸ Similarly, an application note by Waters scientists shows the importance of TGA in end-use predictions, as it can determine decomposition temperature and estimate polymer lifetime as a function of temperature and time.⁹ Across these studies, thermal analysis supported end-use predictions for new lightweight materials designed for demanding end-use environments, reducing risk while accelerating innovation.

The studies above illustrate the importance of thermal and mechanical analysis for verifying lightweight materials‘ strength, lifetime, and stability under demanding aerospace conditions. As manufacturers continue to strive for higher production rates and even more aggressive weight reduction, techniques like DSC, TGA, DMA and rheology provide the data needed to design materials that are not only lighter but also safer and more reliable throughout their service life. From optimizing processing conditions to analyzing thermal degradation, material characterization is a cornerstone of safety and efficiency in lightweighting.

1. Taminger, K. NASA High-Rate Aerostructures Technology Plans; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2020. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20200004300/downloads/20200004300.pdf.
2. Rajat Zope. Aerospace Thermoplastic Composites Market Size & Share, 2032. Persistence Market Research. https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/aerospace-thermoplastic-composites-market.asp (accessed 2026-05-18).
3. Muh. Ilham Akbar; Bidayatul Armynah; Tahir, D. Sandwich Composite Structure (SCS): Review of Wood-Based Materials with Polymers and Metals as a Filler for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding. Industrial Crops and Products 2024, 215, 118619–118619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.118619.
4. Ghalayaniesfahani, A.; Oostenbrink, B.; Kasteren, H. van; Gibson, I.; Mehrshad Mehrpouya. 4D Printing of Biobased Shape Memory Sandwich Structures. Polymer 2024, 307, 127252–127252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127252.
5. Stelter, C.; Park, C.; Chu, S.-H.; Hudson, T. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Post-Cured Bismaleimide Resins for Composite-Overwrapped Combustion Chambers Cycled From Cryogenic to High Temperatures. Nasa.gov. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20240012459 (accessed 2026-05-18).
6. Takeda, S.; Kugi, D.; Hoshi, H.; Mohammad Fikry, M. J.; Ogihara, S. Influence of Preheating on Ultrasonic Welding of CF/PEEK Composite Laminates. Composite Structures 2025, 373, 119668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2025.119668.
7. Maier, R.; Istrate, A. M.; Despa, A.; Mandoc, A. C.; Bucaciuc, S.; Stoica, R. Investigation into Thermomechanical Response of Polymer Composite Materials Produced through Additive Manufacturing Technologies. Materials 2022, 15 (14), 5069. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15145069.
8. Zhang, T.; Luo, Z.; Deng, J.; Pei, Y.; Cheng, X. A Novel Preparation Method of Composite Bolted T-Joint with High Bending Performance Based on the Prepreg-RTM Co-Curing Process. Polymers 2024, 16 (9), 1259. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16091259.
9. Browne, J. Thermal Analysis of Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) – Waters TA Instruments. https://www.tainstruments.com/applications-notes/thermal-analysis-of-polyether-ether-ketone-peek-ta496/.