RTI International Metals Inc., Pittsburgh, and Snecma (Safran) announce that they have signed a long-term agreement under which RTI will provide titanium aluminide intermetallic material for the new CFM International LEAP engine. The LEAP – Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion – engine was launched by CFM International in 2008, to power the next generation of single-aisle commercial jets. RTI will be a major supplier of Snecma’s TiAl requirements for the production of LEAP engine low-pressure turbine blades, for which mass production is starting in 2016.
The TiAl alloy is a new-generation intermetallic with outstanding qualities. Able to withstand very high temperatures, its use will substantially reduce the weight of a low-pressure turbine blade compared with nickel-based alloy materials traditionally used in their production. As part of the new LEAP engine, this alloy will be used for the first time on a single-aisle commercial jet. It will contribute to the excellent performance of this new engine, which offers 15% lower fuel consumption than the most efficient engines now in service.
The CFM56 and LEAP engines are produced and marketed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran), France, and GE of the United States.
