In the early 1990s, scientists at GE Global Research came up
with a tough new material that could outperform super-alloys
used to make jet engines, and was also one-third lighter. Since
weight cuts fuel use, shedding pounds is always a big deal in
aviation. But the team faced a skeptical crowd. The material was
a form of ceramics, which can take a lot of heat but have been
known to break on impact. “All the lab test showed it was as
durable as metal, but people had questions about using it inside
an engine,” says materials scientist Jim Vartuli, one of the
lead researchers on the project. “Now, with almost one million
hours of testing, including more than 15,000 hours in land-based
gas turbines that are actually generating electricity, the
questions have been answered. This material is ready for
flight.” GE spent the last two decades developing the next-
generation material, called ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). It
is strong, tough, and also amenable to mass production. CMCs are
made from silicon carbide ma