Selecting high-temperature structural intermetallic compounds: The engineering approach

Abstract

While there are nearly 300 high-melting-temperature intermetallic compounds, numerous factors limit the commercial viability of these materials for structural applications. Once the desirability of a material's crystal structure has been determined, the engineer must then focus on the compound's oxidation and corrosion resistance, its cost and any associated environmental hazards that may diminish its practical value. The final engineering limitations are imposed by process capabilities, which must be improved if high-temperature intermetallics are to one day emerge from the laboratory. © 1989 TMS.