Engineering
Grain Boundary Engineering: Boosting Creep Resistance in Nickel-Based Superalloys
Quick fact
Grain boundary engineering can significantly increase the creep life of nickel-based superalloys by converting a majority of the grain boundaries into 'special' low-energy boundaries that resist sliding and cracking—sometimes more than doubling the time to rupture.
Why this is interesting
Jet engine turbine blades operate at temperatures that would melt aluminum, yet they survive for years. What hidden feature inside the metal's microscopic structure keeps them from slowly stretching and cracking apart?