New Generation Ceramics for Aircraft Engines: TPU Develops Coating That Withstands 1100 °C and Does Not Oxidize

Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University have developed new high-entropy ceramic coatings based on hafnium and zirconium carbides, significantly increasing their resistance to oxidation at ultra-high temperatures. These materials can be used in aviation and aerospace technology, especially in aggressive environments and temperatures up to 1100 °C.

The problem with traditional carbide coatings is their tendency to catastrophic oxidation at temperatures above 500 °C, which causes destruction and delamination of the layer. The solution proposed by scientists is the use of the principle of entropy stabilization. It is based on the formation of multi-component alloys (with at least five elements), where each component contributes to the stability and functionality of the material. As a result, such coatings demonstrate the effect of "cocktail materials": improved thermal conductivity, ablation resistance, and structural integrity even under extreme thermal loads.

In their work, TPU scientists synthesized a coating combining a refractory matrix of hafnium and zirconium carbides with alloying additives of aluminum, chromium, and tantalum. This combination made it possible to avoid phase segregation and increase oxidation resistance up to 20 times compared to non-alloyed materials and up to 7 times compared to conventional alloying. The coating was applied by magnetron sputtering, and the samples were tested at temperatures up to 1100 °C.

Of particular interest are thin-film coatings, which can serve as intermediate layers between thermal barrier coatings and heat-resistant alloys, providing additional protection and resistance to thermal cycles. Currently, the research team continues to study double oxide-carbide high-entropy systems, analyzing their thermal and mechanical resistance in real operating conditions.

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