The Thermal Stability of Eutectic Composites in a Temperature Gradient

Abstract

It is shown that the thermal stability of aligned, fibrous, eutectic composites may often be greatly decreased if a temperature gradient perpendicular to the fibre axes is present. An analogous effect is predicted for aligned, lamellar composites in a temperature gradient perpendicular to the direction of the growth of the alloy. Since the above thermal configurations are those existing in a typical turbine blade, the present study indicates that the isothermal stability of an eutectic composite, at present used for selecting possible turbine-blade materials, may often be largely irrelevant.