Rare Earth Tantalate Ceramic Withstands 1600℃ Temperature

The ultra-high temperature rare earth tantalate ceramic could withstand the temperature of 1600℃. The reporter learned from Kunming University of Science and Technology on April 19 that the coating material design and application team of the school has made significant breakthroughs in the field of ultra-high temperature tantalate thermal barrier coating technology.

The maximum operating temperature of advanced thermal barrier coating materials could be increased to 1400℃, and up to 1600℃, and the thermal insulation cooling gradient be increased by 100 degrees Celsius to 500 degrees Celsius, so that our country’s thermal barrier coating technology has reached the international leading level.

Thermal barrier coatings are one of the most significant materials to keep high-efficient gas turbine engines working stably. The effects of thermal barrier coatings are to improve the corrosion resistance and operating temperature of gas turbine, reduce the fuel consumption and extend turbine lifetime, and so on.

According to the team leader, thermal barrier coating materials, as thermal protective coatings for high-temperature components of aero engines and gas turbines improving the service conditions of high-temperature components as well as extend service life. At present, the most used thermal barrier coating material is zirconia-based material, which will undergo a phase change when the high temperature reaches about 1200 degrees Celsius, causing the coating to fall off and fail, and the service life will be exponentially reduced.

As the requirements for the application of aero engines and gas turbines continue to increase, the operating temperature of aero engines in the future may reach 2000 degrees Celsius.

After continuous exploration and verification, the team made full use of our country's resource advantages in rare earths, successfully developed a new type of rare earth tantalate high-temperature iron elastic phase change toughened ceramic material, and established a set of materials from material discovery. At the same time, our country owns independent intellectual property rights in the field of new rare earth tantalate ceramic coatings.

This accomplishment is the sole ultra-high temperature thermal barrier coating that could work stably for a long time at 1400 to 1600℃ in the world. At present, the team has cooperated with Shaanxi Tianxuan Coating Technology Co., Ltd. and other companies to produce this coating material. Due to the excellent comprehensive properties of this rare earth tantalate ceramic, it will be widely used in crucial fields of the national economy such as aviation and navigation in the future.

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