Modern Applications of Nanomaterials in the Aerospace Industry: A Review of Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects

In recent decades, nanotechnology has brought about a fundamental transformation in the aerospace industry, and significant research has been conducted in this field. However, most existing review studies have merely provided scattered accounts of the properties and applications of nanomaterials, paying limited attention to a structured analysis of their role within flight systems. This paper, addressing this gap, presents a systematic review of advanced nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, polymer nanocomposites, aerogels, nanocoatings, and nanoscale ceramics, examining the contribution of each to the performance enhancement of key components including airframes, engines, thermal insulation, and electronic systems. The novelty of this study lies in offering an integrative framework that, while comparing international and domestic research findings, analyzes technological and economic capabilities and limitations in a unified manner. For the first time, a comprehensive overview of Iran’s research position relative to global trends is provided, aiming to deliver added value to the scientific community and aerospace policymakers. Finally, by emphasizing key challenges such as production cost, standardization, and industrial scalability, the paper outlines future prospects for the field. This study seeks not only to fill the gap in Persian-language resources but also to introduce novel research and industrial pathways for the strategic utilization of nanomaterials in aerospace applications.