Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The thrust-to-weight ratio of a gas-turbine engine strongly depends on the performance of the materials involved. In order to achieve high engine efficiency, one can particularly benefit from the use of lightweight materials with high temperature resistance and high mechanical strength. In recent years, TiAl based alloys have been shown to exhibit considerable potential for high-temperature applications in aerospace due to their numerous attractive properties including low density, high specific strength, high elastic modulus and good creep resistance at high temperature. However, most of the applications involving TiAl alloys do not exceed 750°C due to mechanical and environmental limitations for this type of material. Above such high temperature non-protective mixture of Al2O3 and TiO2 is formed, leading to the Ti-alloy oxidation and deterioration. In response to the above limitations, the main objective of the proposed research is to develop coatings and surface treatments that would allow the use of intermetallic TiAl components at elevated temperatures (750-850°C). These coatings should simultaneously possess good oxidation and fretting-wear resistance, and they should not compromise the component fatigue characteristics. This research activity represents a possibility to strongly impact also other technological areas.