CLEVELAND — A Northeast Ohio engineer is being credited with an invention that could revolutionize how jet engines and rockets are made.
For the past nine years, Tim Smith has worked as a materials research engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center. His latest invention, a 3D printable metal alloy dubbed "GRX-810," has been tested to withstand higher temperatures and last longer than other state-of-the-art alloys.
"[This could go] inside your rocket engine, inside your airplane engine," Smith explained. "Right where that fuels exploding to make your thrust, that’s where you’ll see it."
Smith argues the alloy, which is a mixture of eight to nine different elements, is capable of enduring temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of time.
"A typical superalloy that you would use for 3D printing for those environments would last for a few minutes or an hour," he explained. "This alloy we're talking about lasting for months or years in the same conditions."
For Amy Hiltabidel, NASA Glenn's licensing manager, this invention stands out from the hundreds of new patents created at NASA Glenn every single year. Hiltabidel explained these patents can be licensed to U.S. companies to help with work beyond the walls of NASA.
"I knew it was going to be a good one," she said. "We estimate this technology has the potential of billions of dollars of economic impact in the United States. It’s pretty big."
GRX-810 is going commercial! NASA’s superalloy is now co-licensed to four U.S. companies. The material endures extreme environments and is ideal for use in plane and spacecraft parts for longer life. Learn how this news benefits aerospace and the economy: https://t.co/JkNQizaQTz pic.twitter.com/j5KU5j64VR
— NASA's Glenn Research Center (@NASAglenn) May 9, 2024
So far, four companies across the country have already licensed the new technology:
- Carpenter Technology Corporation - Reading, Pennsylvania
- Elementum 3D, Inc. - Erie, Colorado
- Linde Advanced Material Technologies, Inc. - Indianapolis, Indiana
- Powder Alloy Corporation - Loveland, Ohio
"I think I’m going to be working on this alloy for the rest of my career," Smith smiled. "I think I'm going to be getting questions about it 20 years from now, and I’m excited about it."
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
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