Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D+i
Region: National
Project period: 2017 – 2019
Principal Investigator: Dr. María Teresa Pérez Prado (teresa.perez.prado@imdea.org)

Enhancing transport sustainability is one of the great challenges of the XXI century. A reduction of at least 25% in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is ambitioned for the next generation of engines. Achieving this goal requires the integration of advanced materials and efficient designs. The successful incorporation into the intermediate pressure turbines (IPT)
of lightweight 3rd generation titanium aluminides (TiAl), endowed with a better mechanical response at high temperatures and cyclic stresses than Ni-based superalloys, would contribute to dramatically improve efficiency under service conditions. However, the micromechanisms governing deformation and fracture of these materials are still unknown. The overarching aim of the CRACKTIAL project is to gain fundamental knowledge on the influence of microstructure, defects and temperature on the monotonic and fatigue response of a 3rd generation gamma-TiAl alloy within a wide temperature range.