NASA has announced the development of the GRX-810 alloy, which it believes will enable stronger and more durable parts for aircraft and spacecraft.
The organisation worked alongside the Ohio State University to create the oxide dispersion strengthened alloy, which the collaborators believe will be suitable for high-temperature applications.
An oxide dispersion strengthened alloy sees oxygen atoms spread throughout the alloy to enhance its strength. Because of this, the alloy is expected to be an ‘excellent candidate’ for aircraft and rocket engine parts because of its ability to withstand harsher conditions before reaching its breaking point. While existing 3D printing superalloys can withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, NASA claims its GRX-810 is twice as strong, over 1,000 times more durable, and twice as resistant to oxidation.
“This superalloy has the potential to dramatically improve the strength and toughness of components and parts used in aviation and space exploration,” commented Dr. Tim Smith of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and lead author of the peer-reviewed Nature paper in which the collaborators published.
Smith is credited as the inventor, alongside Glenn colleague Christopher Kantzos, is credited as the inventor of GRX-810. Smith, Kantzos and their team deployed computer modelling and a laser 3D printing process that fused metals together layer by layer to create the new alloy.
“This new alloy is a major achievement,” added Dale Hopkins, Deputy Project Manager of NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project. “In the very near future, it may well be one of the most successful technology patents NASA Glenn has ever produced.”
GRX-810 was developed under NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project, with support from the agency’s Game Changing Development Program.
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