Mexico. Experts from the Center for Research in Advanced Materials (CIMAV), Monterrey Unit, developed nanostructured coatings that have the ability to withstand temperatures exceeding 1,000 ° C in the components of aeronautical turbines.
Fly ash, which is considered industrial waste from thermoelectric power plants, is now used for this development. The leader of this project is Dr. Ana María Arizmendi Morquecho, who explained that with the project that "the components of blades and nozzles (type mobile and fixed blades, respectively) of the hot zone of the turbines, which are manufactured from Nickel-based superalloys, are exposed to temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, which causes a very strong microstructural degradation of the substrates and affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the structure decreasing the energy efficiency of the turbines".
The development seeks to create advanced thermal barrier systems based on nanocomposites that protect the structure of the superalloys with which certain turbine components are made. To do this, they use fly ash as a ceramic matrix to which they incorporate various nanoparticles to create new materials developed by the researchers.
The researcher added that after five years of analysis they will carry out more tests that validate the materials obtained in the laboratory and thus continue with the scaling process until transferring the development to a company that shows interest.
