Decades of research has been focused on improving the high-temperature properties of nickel-based superalloys, an essential class of materials used in the hot section of jet turbine Q6 engines, allowing increased engine efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. This paper introduces a new ‘phase-transformation strengthening’ mechanism that resists high-temperature creep deformation in nickel-based superalloys, where specific alloying elements inhibit the deleterious deformation mode of nanotwinning at temperatures above 700 C.
Smith, T. M., B. D. Esser, N. Antolin, A. Carlsson, R. E. A. Williams, A. Wessman, T. Hanlon, H. L. Fraser, W. Windl, D. W. Mccomb, and M. J. Mills. "Phase Transformation Strengthening of High-temperature Superalloys." Nature Communications 7 (2016): 13434.
Check out the full paper here: http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13434.
