Ceramics in Aero Gas Turbines – an Engineer's View

For many years it has been predicted that various forms of ceramic material would play a significant and important role in the development of the gas turbine engine for aerospace, marine and land-based applications. Indeed, much of the composites work that was in progress in the 1950s and early 60s was aimed at early ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials. The champions of ceramics have prophesied an optimistic outlook since the very earliest days of the gas turbine engine. Yet there is still no civil aircraft engine using ceramics in anything like a structural application and with one or two exceptions, ceramics fare little better in military engines.