Sintx Technologies Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, an original equipment manufacturer of advanced ceramics, received a three-year Phase II award of $1.5 million issued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop, design, and characterize thermal-environmental barrier coatings (T-EBCs) for functionally graded high temperature ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). The proposal was originally submitted by Technology Assessment and Transfer (TA&T), now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sintx. The Phase II award follows the successful completion of the Phase I effort by TA&T.
The goal is to develop gas turbines capable of reliable operation at turbine inlet temperatures up to 3100°F. This goal is shared across the U.S. armed forces and commercial aviation developers, and also has potential application in industrial gas-turbine power plants. Consequently, there is a driving need to extend the capability of CMCs and T-EBCs to resist degradation in harsh moisture laden combustion and sand/dust ingestion (CMAS) conditions at much higher temperatures than the current state of the art 2400°F.
Technical, economic, and social benefits include improved turbine engine performance, lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance costs for civilian aircraft, and increased efficiency and reduced pollution for industrial power plants. Energy savings and reduction in climate damaging emissions will provide major societal benefits. Spin off applications include liquid propulsion nozzle extensions, hypersonic components, and nuclear applications among others.
“The continuous temperature increases in efficient, lower emission turbine engines are imposing serious lifetime issues on critical turbine components. This project is designed to develop unique high temperature ceramic composites and environmental protective coatings for the advanced CMCs that will ensure engine performance, increase flight safety, and lower maintenance costs. Spinoffs to commercial aviation and commercial power plants will lower energy costs and reduce environmental pollution,” said Dr. Larry Fehrenbacher, vice president of technology, Sintx Technologies. “We believe that this concept has strong merit, and this contract will accelerate Sintx’s path towards scale-up and commercialization.”
TA&T, recently acquired by Sintx, has a long history of developing high temperature solutions for a variety of applications for NASA, DOD, DOE and the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, Sintx-TA&T provides high temperature coatings for a variety of industrial applications.
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Sintx Technologies Inc.
