Costs & benefits of bioinspired ceramics vs metallic alloys in aerospace

• Main Author: Chan, Jie Sheng
• Other Authors: Hortense Le Ferrand
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering; Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148999
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Over the years, mankind has been seeking inspirations from nature to innovate and improve on existing technologies. Bioinspired composites that replicate structures of living organisms have gained significant interest over the years. Such structures can be made strong, tough, and lightweight and these are the desired properties for high performance industries such as aviation. As air travel becomes more accessible to people, carbon emissions will inevitably increase due to the growth in air traffic. Hence, this report will explore the feasibility of using nacre-like alumina (NLA), a bioinspired composite that replicates the microstructure of seashells to replace nickel-based superalloy turbine blades from the jet engine. The report will utilise published literature and information available online and in-print to determine the costs and benefits of fabrication and usage of NLA against the nickel-based superalloy, compare the performance of the two materials and assess the performance of turbine blades made from each material. The environmental impacts of the materials throughout its life cycle will be compared as well. NLA has great potential to replace nickel-based superalloy as turbine blade material but there are still uncertainties that need to be addressed. Ultimately, it is recommended that the aviation industry should venture into the direction of NLA, solve its current limitations and unravel a new horizon of aerospace materials.