Jet Engine Materials

A quick overview of the

materials requirements,
the materials being used,
and the materials being developed

Motivation for Materials

Development

Higher Operating
Temperatures
Higher Rotational Speeds
Lower Weight Engine
Components
Longer Operating Lifetime
Decreased Failure
Occurrence

This all adds up to:

Better

Performance
Lower Life Cycle Costs

Materials Requirements

thousands of operating hours at temperatures up to 1,100C (2000 F)

high thermal stresses caused by rapid temperature changes and large

temperature gradients

high mechanical stresses due to high rotational speeds and large

aerodynamic forces

low- and high-frequency vibrational loading

oxidation

corrosion

time- , temperature- and stress-dependent effects such as creep, stress

rupture, and high- and low-cycle fatigue.

Regions of the Engine

Cold Sections
Inlet/Fan
Compressor
Casing

Hot Sections
Combustor
Turbine/Outlet

Cold Section Materials

Requirements
High Strength (static, fatigue)
High Stiffness
Low Weight
Materials:

Titanium Alloys
Aluminum

Alloys
Polymer Composites
Titanium intermetallics and composites

Applications of Polymer
Composites

Fiber Reinforced Polymer

Composite Properties Graphite/Kevlar

Very high strength-weight ratios

Very high stiffness-weight ratio (graphite)
Versatility of design and manufacture
Specific gravity: ~1.6 (compared to 4.5 for
titanium & 2.8 for aluminum)
Can only be used at low temperatures
< 300 C (600 F)

Titanium alloys used for critical

cold section components
Fan disks/blade
Compressor
disks/blades
Typical Alloy:
Ti-6Al-4V

Titanium Properties
High strength & stiffness to weight ratios
> 150 ksi, E = 18 Msi
Specific gravity of 4.5 ( 58 % that of steel)
Titanium alloys can be used up to temperatures of ~
590 C (1100 F)
Good oxidation/corrosion resistance (also used in
medical implants)
High strength alloys hard to work - therefore many
engine components are cast

Metallurgy of disks critical to

achieve desired properties and
to eliminate defects

Accident occurred JUL-19-89 at SIOUX CITY, IA

Aircraft: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10-10,
Injuries: 111 Fatal, 47 Serious, 125 Minor, 13
Uninjured.

A FATIGUE CRACK ORIGINATING FROM A PREVIOUSLY

UNDECTECTED METALLURGICAL DEFECT LOCATED
IN A CRITICAL AREA OF THE STAGE 1 FAN DISK THAT
WAS MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL ELECTRIC
AIRCRAFT ENGINES. THE SUBSEQUENT
CATASTROPHIC DISINTEGRATION OF THE DISK
RESULTED IN THE LIBERATION OF DEBRIS IN A
PATTERN OF DISTRIBUTION AND WITH ENERGY
LEVELS THAT EXCEEDED THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION
PROVIDED BY DESIGN FEATURES OF THE HYDRAULIC
SYSTEMS THAT OPERATED THE DC-10'S FLIGHT
CONTROLS.

Aluminum alloys can reduce

weight over titanium
Conventional alloys have lower strength/weight
ratios than Ti but more advanced alloys
approach that of Ti.
Specific gravity: 2.8 ( 62 % that of Ti)
Lower cost than Ti
Max temp for advanced alloys: ~ 350 C (600
F)
Lower weight & rotating part inertia

Titanium Aluminide Ti3Al

An intermetallic alloy of Ti and Al
Extends the temperature range of Ti from
1100 F to 1200-1300 F
Suffers from embrittlement due to exposure
to atmosphere at high temperature - needs
to be coated.

Titanium Composites (MMC)

Titanium matrix with SiC fibers
Decreases weight while increases strength
and creep strength

TYPICAL Ti/SiC COMPOSITE

100X

Hot Section Materials

Requirements
High Strength
(static, fatigue,
creep-rupture)
High temperature
resistance
850 C - 1100 C
(1600 F - 2000 F)
Corrosion/oxidation resistance
Low Weight

High Temperatures - 1100 C (2000 F)

Creep becomes at factor for conventional metals when the

operating temperature reaches approximately 0.4 Tm
(absolute melting temp.)

Conventional engineering metals at 1100 C:

Steel
Aluminum ~1.4
Titanium

~0.9 Tm
Tm
~0.7 Tm

Conclusion: We need something other than

conventional materials!

High Temperatures - 1100 C (2000 F)

What Materials Can Be Used?

Unconventional

or superalloys
Ceramics

metal alloys -

Superalloys
Nickel (or Cobalt) based materials
Can be used in load bearing applications up
to 0.8Tm - this fraction is higher than for
any other class of engineering alloys!
High strength /stiffness
Specific gravity ~8.8 (relatively heavy)
Over 50% weight of current engines

Typical Compositions of
Superalloys
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, WEIGHT PERCENT
Ni

Cr

Co

Mo

Ta

Cb

Al

Ti

Zr

2.0

6.1

0.8

0.12

0.10

0.20

0.09

Hf

TURBINE BLADE ALLOYS

ALLOY 713C

BAL 12.5

4.2

MAR-M 247

BAL

8.2

10.0

0.6

10.0

3.0

5.5

1.0

CMSX - (SC)

BAL

8.0

4.6

0.6

8.0

6.0

5.6

1.0

WASPALOY

BAL 19.5

13.5

4.3

1.3

3.0

0.006 0.06

RENE 95

BAL 14.0

8.0

3.5

3.5

3.5

2.5

0.01

HASTELLOY X

BAL 22.0

1.5

9.0

0.6

INCONEL 617

BAL 22.0

12.5

9.0

0.1

TURBINE DISK ALLOYS

3.5

1.5

COMBUSTOR ALLOYS

1.0

Chromium yields corrosion resistance

0.05

Microstructure of a Superalloy
Superalloys are dispersion hardened
Ni3Al and Ni3Ti
in a Ni matrix
Particles resist
dislocation motion and
resist growth at high
temperatures

Creep - Rupture
Strain increases over time under a static load usually only at elevated temperatures (atoms more
mobile at higher temperatures)
The higher energy states of the atoms at grain
boundaries causes grain boundaries - particularly
ones transverse to load axis - to creep at a rate
faster than within grains
Can increase creep-rupture strength by eliminating
transverse grain boundaries

Controlled grain structure in

turbine blades:

Equi-axed

Directionally Single Crystal

solidified (DS)
(SX)

Performance of superalloy
parts enhanced with thermal
barrier coatings

Thin coating - plasma sprayed

MCrALY coating materials
Increased corrosion/oxidation resistance
Can reduce superalloy surface temperature
by up to 40 C (~100 F)

Non-metallics - Ceramics

SUPERALLOY

Cobalt
Nickel
Chromium
Tungsten
Tantalum
Silicon
Nitrogen
Carbon

CERAMIC

Ceramics - Advantages
Higher Temperatures
Lower Cost
Availability of Raw Materials
Lighter Weight
Materials:

Al2O3,

Si3N4, SiC, MgO

Ceramics - Challenges
DUCTILITY

IMPACT

Superalloys
Ceramics
TOUGHNESS

CRITICAL FLAW SIZE

Ceramic Composites
Ceramic Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Matrix
Improve toughness
Improve defect
tolerance
Fiber pre-form
impregnated with
powder and then hotpressed to fuse matrix

Carbon-Carbon composite
Carbon fibers in a carbon matrix
Has the potential for the highest
temperature capability
> 2000 C (~4000 F)
Must be protected from oxidation (e.g. SiC)
Currently used for nose-cone for space shuttle
which has reentry temperatures of 1650 C
(3000 F)

TURBINE ROTOR INLET

TEMP, F

Trends in turbine materials

Materials for F109 engine

F109 FAN MODULE MATERIALS

F109 HP COMPRESSOR MATERIALS

201-T6 Aluminum INCO 625 (side plates)
INCO 718 (vanes)
17-4 PH

Ti 6-4

INCO 718

Ti 6-2-4-2

HAST X

F109 COMBUSTOR/MIDFRAME MATERIALS

HS 188
+ TBC INCO 718 HS 188

HS 188

HAST S

HAST X

300 SS INCO 718

INCO 718

INCO 600

F109 HP TURBINE MATERIALS

INCO 738
HAST X

HAST X

INCO 718

MAR-M 247
HAST S
DS

MAR-M 247

MAR-M 247
DS

WASP B

MAR-M 247
INCO 738 DS

F109 LP TURBINE MATERIALS

HAST X BACK WITH HAST X
0.032 CELL. HONEYCOMB
INCONEL 625
EQUIAXED MAR-M
247 COATED WITH
RT-21

INCONEL 625
HAST X BACK WITH HAST X
0.032 CELL. HONEYCOMB
HASTELLOY X

WASPALOY

EQUIAXED MAR-M 247

EQUIAXED MAR-M 247
COATED WITH RT-21
HAST X BACK WITH HAST X
0.032 CELL. HONEYCOMB
WASPALOY

WASPALOY

WASPALOY

HAST X BACK WITH

HAST X0.032 CELL.
HONEYCOMB

WASPALOY