Ian is a final year engineering postgraduate based at Rolls-Royce plc in Derby. The scheme is a partnership between the University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce, and his research evaluates the oxidation performance of fourth generation Ni-based superalloys. Ian obtained a first class MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield and is a keen sportsman and traveller.

Life at the Hot End – Oxidation of Ni Superalloys

As engine manufacturers strive for higher operating temperatures to raise thermal efficiency and hence decrease fuel consumption, the oxidation resistance of aerofoils is increasingly critical.

While larger efficiency increases have come from internal cooling and thermal barrier coatings, materials capability is still the subject of much research. Fourth generation nickel-based superalloys are characterised by the addition of the platinum group refractory element, Ru, along with high refractory element concentrations. Ru is added to increase microstructural stability and directly improves alloy creep strength.

The extra refractory content afforded by Ru generally produces poorer oxidation performance than preceding generations of alloys, including CMSX-4. Fourth generation alloys exhibit internal oxidation at lower temperatures and increased mass-loss during cyclic oxidation. As such, the importance of a systems approach to alloy development to include viable coatings is emphasised.

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