Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[chico237]

Scandium~ NASA, Boeing to Fly Truss-braced-wing Demonstrator in 2023
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-01-18/nasa-boeing-fly-truss-braced-wing-demonstrator-2028

NASA and Boeing will collaborate on building and test-flying a single-aisle commercial aircraft demonstrator using a truss-braced, high-aspect-ratio wing scheduled for first flight in 2028, the partners said Wednesday. Called the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project, the effort would reduce fuel burn compared with contemporary narrowbodies by 30 percent through aerodynamic, materials, and engine improvements. Of the $725 million needed for the project, NASA will contribute $425 million while Boeing and other partners will absorb the rest of the cost.

Aluminium - Ideal for the air
https://www.constellium.com/news/the-future-of-planes

The aluminium industry is working closely with the aviation industry to address climate change now and in the future. At Constellium, our engineers are collaborating with OEMs (Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Lockheed Martin, etc.) to find ways to decarbonize flight in a cost-efficient way. Two important features of aluminium, lightweighting and recyclability, are essential to the greening of planes. The design flexibility enabled by aluminium-based aerostructures is a key benefit when adapting airframes to house alternative propulsion technologies. In addition, aluminium alloys are ideal for hydrogen storage, as witnessed by their use in the tanks of space vehicles.

High-performance aluminium alloys already play a major role in the skies, and we are constantly developing new ones. You can find advanced aluminium alloys on outer wings, the center wing box, the fuselage and nose fuselage, the engine (including gear boxes), and the landing gear. Our Airware® aluminium-lithium alloys—developed for the rigors of space travel—have exceptional promise for lightweighting and durability, providing up to 20% more lightweighting than conventional alloys, and being infinitely recyclable. Airware® alloys are perfectly adapted to complex new aircraft configurations, from fuselages to wings of the future.

Of course, one of aluminium’s major advantages is its excellent recyclability. It is infinitely recyclable without a loss in properties, and recycling aluminium uses only 5% of the energy needed to obtain primary metal. In the automotive industry, manufacturers are increasingly designing with selective dismantling and recycling in mind. This approach should be applicable to aircraft as well. The ultimate goal is to be able to dismantle end-of-life aircraft by material and alloy group, then recycle the scrap in separate routes to avoid cross-contamination—one more step on a path to zero-emission aviation.

So while we will have to wait a bit longer to fly on the futurist airplanes of tomorrow, we can still focus on materials and processes to decarbonize the planes of today. Fasten your seatbelts, the journey has just begun.

Aluminum Scandium Alloys ("JUST A DAB WILL DO YA!"... SCANDIUM)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325374400_Aluminium_Scandium_Alloys

Scandium addition in Al alloys results in a significant strength increment, which is due to the formation of homogeneously distributed Al3Sc dispersoids. The addition of Zr further enhances the strength increment, improves the thermal stability of the dispersoids, and hence enhances the super plasticity behavior. With a carefully designed heat treatment, the Al3(Sc,Zr) particles have a Sc-core/Zr-shell structure. Other elements have been found to interact in a similar fashion with Sc, such as Ti, Er, Li, and Yb, which have all been found to result in a core/shell type morphology. Scandium also enhances toughness and corrosion resistance and is the most efficient recrystallization inhibitor in Al alloys. Despite these clear benefits, the widespread use of Sc in Al alloys is currently hindered by a high price and unreliable supply. However, the development of new, efficient technologies should lead to a decrease in price in the foreseeable future. The transportation industry is then
consequently, likely to rapidly adopt Sc-containing Al alloys.

NIOCORPS SCANDIUM MIGHT BE A STARTING POINT TO SECURE A STABLE U.S. SUPPLY OF OVER 100 TONS PER YEAR!
Form your own opinions & conclusions!
IMHO: I would like to think entites are interested in Niocorps Niobium, Scandium & Titanium production here in the U.S.. Waiting for the TEAM to add REE's soon! Go Team Niocorp & L3!

Chico