Advanced Ceramic Coatings will make use of Turbocoating's coatings technologies and industrial processes and GE Aviation's coatings processes developed for CMCs. The companies plan to produce advanced new coatings for GE's high-temperature CMCs in the post-fabrication phase.
The joint venture expects to deliver its first coated components in late 2015, including CMC shrouds for CFM International’s LEAP engine. The LEAP is the first commercial jet engine in the aviation industry to use CMCs in the hot high-pressure turbine section.
CMCs are made of silicon carbide ceramic fibers and ceramic matrix, and can be improved with proprietary coatings. With one-third the density of metal alloys, CMCs can reduce the overall engine weight.
Heat resistance
CMCs are also more heat resistant than metal alloys, allowing the diversion of less cooling air into an engine's hot section. By using this cooling air instead in the engine flow path, an engine runs more efficiently at higher temperature.
GE expects the demand for CMCs in its engines to grow tenfold over the next decade. Later this decade, CMCs will be incorporated into the combustor and high-pressure turbine section of the new GE9X engine under development by GE to power the Boeing 777X twin-aisle aircraft.
