Enhancements of mechanical properties of materials through ECAP for high temperature applications

Abstract

In the recent past aerospace industries are facing great challenges in enhancing the efficiency of jet engines in order to reduce the fuel consumption. This has led to a rigorous research in the field of advanced materials especially alloys and composites for jet engines. As evident, the melting point of aluminium is much lower than engine’s operating temperature which gives an edge over for the use of alloys and composites. In hotter parts of a turbine engine, temperature rises as high as to 1800 °C. Materials like intermetallic alloys, refractory materials e.g. ceramics and composites are now being used at a wide scale. In the current study mechanical properties after grain refinement of super alloys and composites being used in aircraft engine is carried out using Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). In the current study effect of ECAP on Al-SiC composite has been mainly studied. And Al-SiC composite has been majorly used by the aircraft manufacturers in the recent Boeing aircraft 787. It is expected that the present investigation will be useful for developing super alloys and composites for high temperature applications.