Alcoa will supply parts for Pratt & Whitney’s jet engines, including the forging for the first-ever aluminum fan blade for jet engines, under a 10-year, $1.1 billion deal.
The aluminum fan blade will make the engine lighter, as well as more fuel and cost efficient, Alcoa says.
The forging was developed for Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower engines using an advanced aluminum alloy and a proprietary manufacturing process. Also for the PurePower engines, Alcoa is developing a fan blade forging using its most advanced aluminum-lithium alloy.
Under the deal, Alcoa will supply components for Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1000G, V2500, GP7000 and several other regional jet and military engines. The PurePower engine will be used to power some of the world’s highest volume aircraft, including the next-generation Airbus A320neo.
Last month Alcoa and clean technology company Phinergy unveiled a zero-emissions electric demo car powered by a aluminum-air battery. The companies are collaborating on new materials, processes and components to commercialize the aluminum-air battery, which can extend the distance an electric car travels by approximately 1,000 miles.