Material Selection for Gas Turbines and Rocket Propulsion

The Challenge

Aerospace propulsion systems, gas turbines, rocket engines, and emerging hybrid electric configurations, push materials to their limits. Ceramic composites offer the thermal stability and strength these applications demand, but selecting the right composition requires understanding how mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties interact under severe operating conditions. Traditional testing approaches examine these properties in isolation, missing the holistic picture needed for reliable material selection.

The Solution

This research provides comprehensive characterization of three ceramic composite systems: MgO-Al2O3, MgO-CaZrO3, and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The study measured Young’s and shear moduli, flexural strength, hardness, fracture toughness, thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, and dielectric properties, building a complete property profile for each material.

Impulse excitation testing enabled rapid, non-destructive measurement of elastic moduli, providing the foundation for understanding how these materials will perform under mechanical loading. Combined with thermal and electrical characterization, the data reveals how structural and functional properties must be balanced for propulsion applications.

Key takeaway: Ceramic selection for propulsion systems requires simultaneous evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, as optimizing one domain in isolation can lead to failure in another.

Results

The research underscores that advanced ceramics for aerospace cannot be selected based on single properties. Gas turbine thermal barrier coatings, rocket nozzle linings, and hybrid electric propulsion components each demand different property combinations. This open-access dataset provides aerospace engineers with validated characterization methods and the comparative material data needed for informed selection decisions.