At the recent International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin, Tital GmbH, the titanium and aluminium investment casting specialist based in Bestwig, Germany, presented lightweight and environmentally friendly turbine blades made from titanium aluminide.

Production of the titanium aluminide blades was made possible through a partnership with Access, the affiliated institute of the RWTH Aachen. Tital and Access recently succeeded in developing a process for the manufacture of the lightweight and heat-resistant turbine blades, which are made from Gamma TiAl intermetallic alloy.

Components made from Gamma TiAl have a density of 4 g/cm³ and are therefore 10 per cent lighter than conventional titanium alloys, which are already lightweight materials. They are only half the weight of comparable special alloy steels and consequently result in substantial energy savings. Another benefit: Gamma TiAl is very heat resistant and thus predestined for use in jet turbines. The alloy can withstand temperatures up to 850°C – temperatures up to 600°C are normal.