The Research and Development Laboratory for Aerospace Materials specialises in researching innovative solutions based on advanced materials for industrial applications.

The Research and Development Laboratory for Aerospace Materials is a research unit of Rzeszów University of Technology. It was created in 2004 in the centre of Poland which has strong aviation traditions. The facility co-operates with companies affiliated to the Aviation Valley Association (around 120 companies including 50 SMEs), with the largest manufacturer of aircraft components and gears – Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów – at the head. It is a specialist research and development laboratory equipped with research machinery and technological devices required for conducting research projects in the area of highly advanced materials and technologies for aircraft engineering and beyond. The laboratory was granted accreditation by the National Aerospace Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) and the Polish Centre of Accreditation (PCA) in the area of performed investigation.

The Research and Development Laboratory for Aerospace Materials is equipped with suitable machinery, laboratory staff and space, enabling the organisation and application of projects in advanced material science and technology directed at the manufacture of critical turbine elements – casting hot section components of aircraft engines, tailoring thermal barrier coatings, the deposition process of corrosion-resistant coatings on the magnesium-based substrate, and the high speed machining of resistant materials.

The research projects conducted in the laboratory mainly concern:

• The casting process of hot section elements of aircraft engines by directional crystallisation and monocrystallisation – structure perfection assessment for single crystal blade casts and stationary segments of turbines (Laue method), the manufacture of ceramic shell moulds and wax model assemblies. One of our current research projects concerns developing technology that places cores into models assembled for manufacturing blades with internal cooling channels;
• The deposition processes of high temperature-resistant coatings and thermal barrier coatings (metallic bond coats and external ceramic layers) on engine elements that operate in the presence of oxidising gases, under conditions inducing high temperature corrosion;
• High speed machining (HSM), including resistant materials (nickel superalloys, titanium alloys), machining with high pressure water cooling assistance, and also laser assisted machining;
• The deposition processes of protective oxide layers on the surface of magnesium alloys using glow discharge assisted oxidising. The layers are characterised by high corrosion resistance;
• Developing heat treatment and thermomechanical treatment processes, including vacuum carburising and high pressure gas quenching (argon, nitrogen) for gear wheels and gear unit shafts;
• Characterisation of structure and microstructure, and the analysis of materials in terms of chemical, physical and mechanical properties; and
• The laboratory is fitted with equipment essential to research in material science and performing industrial processes.

The laboratory also works on the following activities and areas:

Directional crystallisation and monocrystallisation – application of the Bridgman-Stockbarger method for the manufacture of precision nickel superalloy castings characterised by equiaxed microstructures and the directional orientation of grains. Also, casts with a single crystal structure, the preparation of wax models, development of ceramic materials, and the creation of model assemblies and ceramic shell moulds.

The manufacture of protective coatings and thermal barrier coatings – the development and introduction of innovative technological solutions for industrial-grade protective coatings (metallic and ceramic layers) using equipment for atmospheric and low pressure plasma spraying processes (APS, MultiCoat® LPPS®), physical vapour deposition involving feedstock evaporation with electron beam (EB-PVD) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

Corrosion and electrochemical processes – the development of electrochemical glow discharge assisted the oxidising of magnesium alloys and hard anodising of aluminium alloys. The kinetics of phase transitions in external layers, cyclic oxidation process up to the temperature of 1,100°C in a furnace with controlled atmosphere capability (air, oxygen, inert gas), corrosion and erosion resistance analysis in room and elevated temperatures (up to 1,200°C).

Heat and thermochemical treatment – heat treatment processes of nickel superalloys, titanium-aluminium alloys and steels. Vacuum carburising and nitriding processes of steels, also plasma assisted nitriding by chemical vapour deposition (PA-CVD). Hardening via a modern gas method under high pressure of argon or nitrogen.

Laser-assisted processes – deposition and cladding of powder feedstock by laser beam on the surface of metallic materials, drilling of small diameter holes in ceramic and metallic materials. The development of regeneration processes for turbine blades used in aircraft engines; deposition of protective coatings, resistant to corrosive factors, abrasive wear, erosion, cavitation, aggressive chemical environment and high temperature influence.

High speed machining – development of machining processes for resistant materials, i.e. nickel superalloy, titanium alloys, including alloys based on intermetallic phase TiAl (γ) which are widely applied in the aviation industry. Research includes machining processes assisted by laser beams and high pressure coolant.

Physical and chemical properties analysis – absolute and apparent density measurement of solid bodies, determination of surface area, mesoporosity and microporosity values, establishing particle size in the range of 20nm to 1mm, kinetics of heat diffusion processes, specific heat capacity, TG-DTA/DSC, heat conduction and expansion for metals and metallic alloys, ceramic materials, polymers, amorphous materials and composites for a wide temperature range (up to 1,600°C), analysis of thermal stability and energetics effects of reactions, thermal analysis of phase transitions, thickness measurement for adhesive and diffusion layers by eddy current and magnetic methods.

Mechanical properties analysis – investigation on tribological properties, stretching and compression tests under both static and dynamic conditions, hardness measurement, low and high-cycle fatigue testing of construction material, investigation on creep and crack resistance, also fatigue crack propagation performed mainly for metallic alloys, ceramics and composites, with particular emphasis on materials applied in the aviation industry.

Metallography and microscopic examination – sample preparation procedure for examination using light and electron microscopy. Analysis of the morphology of microstructure components with a use of light microscopy (LM), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), chemical composition microanalysis (SEM/EDS/WDS), and determination of crystal orientation for single and polycrystal materials (EBSD).

Phase and chemical composition analysis – the quantitative and qualitative analysis of chemical composition for metals and their alloys. The laboratory is equipped with reference materials for steel, cast iron, nickel superalloy, titanium, magnesium and copper. Determination of gas content (oxygen and nitrogen) in steel. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of phase composition for solid materials (mainly steels, titanium-aluminium alloys, nickel superalloys) and powders, including ceramic powders. The research focuses on the kinetics of phase transitions proceeding in metallic alloys under isothermal and continuous cooling conditions. The assessment of the structure perfection of single crystals, establishing the distribution of crystallographic orientation on flat and curved surfaces for single crystal alloys (including large samples), i.e. high-pressure turbine blades for aircraft engines.

Numerical simulations of technological processes – modelling and numerical simulation of vacuum carburising, plastic working, diffusion processes, and the crystallisation process of liquid metal during the casting process. There is also the modelling and simulation of crack propagation kinetics during load and creep tests, and the fracture process of metallic alloys.

Andrzej Nowotnik
Research and Development Laboratory for Aerospace Materials
Rzeszów University of Technology, Poland
+48 600 434 662
nowotnik@prz.edu.pl
http://labmat.prz.edu.pl/en.html

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