Jet engines are remarkable pieces of technology that showcase some of the best engineering achievements of humanity. However, they come with a surprising challenge, as explained by Ben Beake, who is in charge of materials research at a testing company in Wales called Micro Materials. He points out that the air entering the engine is often hotter than the temperature at which the metal parts would melt, which seems counterintuitive. This air can reach temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit), which is way too hot for regular metals.
To tackle this issue, engineers have developed special heat-resistant ceramic coatings for the blades of jet engines. These coatings allow the engines to operate at higher temperatures without damaging the metal underneath. Researchers are currently working on creating even stronger coatings that can withstand even hotter conditions. Dr. Beake notes that if they can increase the temperature by just 30 degrees Celsius (about 54 degrees Fahrenheit), it could lead to an 8% reduction in fuel consumption, which would also mean less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The importance of these coatings cannot be overstated; they significantly enhance the performance and durability of various materials. Many people are unaware of how crucial these thin layers are, as they can greatly improve the efficiency of high-performance machines and help protect expensive equipment from harsh environments.
Dr. Beake and his team are dedicated to pushing the limits of these coatings to see how strong and effective they really are. Sometimes, this leads to unexpected results. For instance, he recalls a time when he had to inform a missile manufacturer that their coating had failed during testing, which understandably upset them.
In addition to testing coatings under extreme heat, Micro Materials uses a unique device that resembles a woodpecker, which has a tiny diamond tip that taps on the coating at random spots to assess its durability. Recently, they collaborated with a company called Teer Coatings to evaluate a new coating designed for satellite parts, such as gears and bearings. This is a complex task because the coating must protect these components both before launch, when they are exposed to humidity, and in space, where they face challenges like dust and radiation. Xiaoling Zhang from Teer Coatings believes they have achieved successful results.
Coatings can also play a role in keeping astronauts healthy. In space, bacteria can accumulate in pipes and create biofilms, which are gooey masses of bacteria that can grow more quickly in low-gravity environments. These biofilms can lead to mechanical failures, which is a concern for water systems or machinery that moves fluids on space stations. Kripa Varanasi from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) explains that they have developed super-slippery coatings that help prevent the formation of these biofilms. They achieved promising results from experiments conducted on the International Space Station.
The concept behind this coating involves combining a solid material with a lubricant, which is then sprayed onto the inside of pipes to make them very slippery. This innovation is not just limited to space applications; Varanasi has also worked on similar coatings for toothpaste tubes, ensuring that you can squeeze out every last bit of toothpaste. His team has commercialized this technology through a company called LiquiGlide.
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Another exciting development comes from Nuria Espallargas at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who has created a silicon carbide-based coating for tools used in the aluminum manufacturing industry. This coating acts like a non-stick surface, preventing molten aluminum from sticking to expensive machinery. However, the exact way this coating works is still somewhat of a mystery, as Espallargas admits they don’t fully understand the mechanism behind it. Despite this, the coating is available for sale through her company, Seram Coatings.
A representative from Atlas Machine and Supply, a company that repairs industrial machinery, noted that before using this new coating, they had to rebuild their rolling tools for working with aluminum every two days, costing them around $4.5 million annually. With the new coating, those tools can last a whole week, reducing their rebuilding costs to about $1.3 million per year.
While coatings can offer incredible benefits, they don’t always perform as expected. Andy Hopkinson, the managing director of Safinah Group, often investigates cases where coatings have failed. He mentions that there are currently issues with fire-resistant coatings in car parks that are peeling off. Additionally, coatings applied to commercial ships sometimes fail to prevent barnacles and other sea life from attaching to the hull, leading to a problem known as biofouling. This increases friction, causing the ship’s engine to work harder and consume more fuel.
Choosing the right coating for a ship is essential, as it depends on factors like the ship’s sailing routes and how long it will be idle. Mistakes in this choice can lead to costly repairs, sometimes running into thousands or even millions of pounds. Hopkinson points out that while the cost of paint is relatively low, the expenses can skyrocket if things go wrong.
Despite these challenges, researchers in the field of coatings see many opportunities for improvement and innovation. There is still much potential to develop new coatings that could significantly enhance the performance of machines and infrastructure in the future.
