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Jaipur, Oct 30 (IANS) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have developed a groundbreaking titanium-aluminide (TiAl) alloy, which is set to transform materials used in aerospace and defense engineering.
The new alloy, called TiAl-CA, solves long-standing challenges in creating lightweight but heat-resistant metals for jet engines – achieving an unprecedented balance of ultra-low weight and exceptional high-temperature strength.
Traditional superalloys used in aircraft engines are either too heavy or lose strength at high operating temperatures. IIT Jodhpur team led by Prof. SS Nene and his PhD students AR Balpande and A.Dutta.
Dutta of the Advanced Materials Design and Processing Group of the Department of Materials Engineering has successfully developed TiAl-CA – a material that retains gigapascal-level yield strength even at 900°C while offering excellent oxidation resistance.
What makes TiAl-CA unique is its boron-free composition. Traditional high-strength TiAl alloys require elements such as boron or carbon, which often makes them brittle.
Researchers at IIT Jodhpur overcame this limitation by introducing a sophisticated combination of niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), and vanadium (V) into the TiAl matrix, resulting in a material that is strong, stable, and highly practical.
In terms of performance, TiAl-CA delivers exceptional results – achieving a yield strength of approximately 1.1 GPa at room temperature and maintaining comparable strength at 900 °C.
Remarkably, its weight is about half that of conventional nickel-based superalloys (4.13 g/cc compared to 7.75–9.25 g/cc), while surpassing them in high temperature compressive strength.
The development of this ultralight but ultra-strong alloy promises a major breakthrough for the aerospace and defense industries, enabling fuel-efficient, lightweight aeroengine components and contributing to a lower carbon footprint.
The researchers now aim to expand the testing to move toward industrial applications – including characterizing the castings and assessing creep and fatigue resistance.
Additionally, the alloy’s excellent as-cast properties make it suitable for advanced fusion-based 3D printing technologies such as electron beam melting (EBM) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), opening new avenues in high-performance component manufacturing. This remarkable achievement highlights India’s growing leadership in advanced materials research.
The TiAl-CA alloy stands as a testament to the country’s innovation under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, paving the way for next generation aircraft and defense systems that are lighter, stronger and proudly made in India.
–IANS
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