SUPERALLOY TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS

A NOVEL SUPERALLOY EMISSIONS GENERATED BY POWER PLANTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE CARBON

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AS THE WORLD LOOKS FOR WAYS TO CUT greenhouse gas emissions, researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have shown that a new 3D-printed superalloy could help power plants generate more electricity while producing less carbon.

Sandia scientists, collaborating with researchers at Ames National Laboratory, Iowa State University and Bruker Corp., used a 3D printer to create a high-performance metal alloy, or superalloy, with an unusual composition that makes it stronger and lighter than state-of-the-art materials currently used in gas turbine machinery. The findings could have broad impacts across the energy sector as well as the aerospace and automotive industries, and hints at a new class of similar alloys waiting to be discovered.

Sandia scientist Andrew Kustas stated that their research demonstrates the ability of the material to achieve high strength, low weight, and hightemperature resiliency, which were previously unattainable. He believes that the additive manufacturing approach played a crucial role in achieving these results.

Material withstands high heat, essential for power plant turbines