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The molten glass eats away at the protective coating during flights, exposing the vulnerable metal beneath. When the engine cools, so does the glass, sometimes causing cracks in the coating the next time the engine expands. Aircraft undergo a rigorous inspection before flights, which picks up on these kinds of problems, said Ben Nagaraj, an engineer at General Electric who works on aircraft engines. According to Nagaraj, there have been no in-flight failures of the kind that the new zirconia coating would stop. But the coating, if adopted by commercial and military jets, could let jets burn their engines at higher temperatures, saving fuel and increasing speed. "This coating would typically be used in helicopter engines, maybe some jets in the Middle East, both commercial and military engines," said Nagaraj. "It will help increase the efficiency and lifetime of engines," said Nagaraj, "but it will be several years before the coating sees the light, or heat, of an engine." The research appeared in a recent issue of the journal Acta Materialia. Related Links: |
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