Materials, Properties and Design

· Alloys between nickel and aluminum, with some added chromium for corrosion resistance, have good high temperature properties because of their two-phase structure.
· The photograph shows the microstructure of such an alloy. The cubic gamma-prime phase in the gamma phase matrix makes plastic deformation of the material difficult and improves its high temperature creep properties.
· Variations of this super-alloy may be used for both the combustion chamber and turbine blades.

From: Kear, "Advanced Metals,"
Scientific American 255 (1986) 159