SILOET Project 4 - High Temperature Materials

A consortium led by Rolls-Royce is developing five new materials technologies for the next generation of civil gas turbines, at a total cost of £15.2 million. These technologies include a low-cost single crystal alloy for blades, a single crystal alloy with rare earth additions, a nickel-based superalloy lifing correlation for turbine discs, a dual microstructure nickel-based superalloy for discs, and cast titanium aluminides for low-pressure blades. The work is being carried out with the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, and Swansea. This matters because gas turbines—which power most commercial aircraft—are limited by how hot their materials can withstand. Higher operating temperatures improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, but current alloys begin to soften or fail under extreme heat and stress. These five technologies aim to push those limits, allowing engines to run hotter and more efficiently without compromising safety. If successful, the project will help meet the ACARE environmental targets for lower aviation emissions. The immediate impact is on aircraft engine design and manufacturing supply chains, rather than on everyday consumer products. The research is applied and industry-led, with a clear deployment pathway: the goal is to make these materials ready for use in the next generation of civil engines.