Applying nanostructured materials to future gas turbine engines

The need for improved materials to provide increased gas turbine engine performance is as great today as at any time in the 50-year history of this field. The emerging technology of nanostructured materials holds the potential for satisfying the gas turbine industry’s requirements with a new generation of materials possessing a quantum improvement in properties. In the laboratory, significant increases in strength and hardness combined with toughness and ductility have been demonstrated. Additionally, desirable physical properties such as enhanced diffusivity and reduced thermal conductivity have been found. In the following article, an aggressive and focused technology development strategy is described that will allow an early assessment of this promising technology for year 2000 gas turbine applications.