Abstract
High-strength, high-temperature structural materials are the backbone of aerospace propulsion and power systems, enabling the efficiency of turbine generators, the fuel economy of aircraft, and the extraordinary power density of rocket engines. Yet the performance, cost, and lifetime of these systems are fundamentally constrained by the limits of current materials and manufacturing approaches. This talk will highlight recent advances in materials science and processing that are redefining those limits: oxygen-compatible alloys that mitigate ignition risks in staged-combustion rocket engines, additive manufacturing pathways that deliver creep-resistant superalloys on demand, and post-processing methods that produce turbine components with performance exceeding conventional castings. These developments chart a path toward a new paradigm in aerospace propulsion, where reusable rockets approach aircraft-like operability and turbine components can be manufactured flexibly and economically to meet the demands of next-generation aviation and power generation.
Biography
Zack Cordero is the Edgerton Career Development Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT where he serves as Associate Director of the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory. He received an SB in physics and a PhD in materials science and engineering from MIT. Prior to joining the MIT faculty, Zack held appointments as a postdoctoral fellow in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and as an assistant professor in the Materials Science and NanoEngineering department at Rice University. Zack’s research at MIT seeks to enable frontier aviation and space platforms through advanced materials, manufacturing, and structures.