IntroductionIn this laboratory report, the object selected for analysis is a turbine blade, particularly for aeronautical purposes such as a jet engine/gas turbine. This part was chosen because it is a crucial part in aviation and there are many different aspects and techniques that contribute to their production. Turbine blades face extreme conditions such as high temperature and high pressure gas, high vibration and high stress, which is why they are usually the limiting factor in a jet engine. BackgroundThe turbine is a part of a jet or gas engine. A jet engine is made up of 4 main parts: air intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. The intake is responsible for collecting as much air as possible in the engine. Throughout the compression phase, the air is compressed causing it to move at a higher speed. It is then mixed with the fuel in the combustion chamber to create even greater pressure. The turbine then pushes the extremely hot, high-pressure air out through the exhaust. The exhaust has a funnel shape which further increases the velocity of the gas [1]. The turbine is definitely the component of a jet engine that is subjected to the harshest conditions, which is why it is so crucial. Materials scientists are inventing new materials and techniques to create better properties to improve the quality of turbine blades. History Since the invention of jet engines, there has always been a steady increase in their power and efficiency. By way of comparison, the air temperature inside the turbine increased from around 600 degrees Celsius to over 1500 degrees Celsius. This change caused a 60% increase in power and a 20% decrease in fuel consumption. These drastic changes also caused a change in the material... in the medium of paper... Ceramics and their applications. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2008. Web. December 1, 2013.[11]Ceramic matrix composite. Digital image. Np, nd Web.[12]"Materials Engineering". Fabrication of ceramic matrix composites using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) [SubsTech]. Np, nd Web. 03 Dec 2013.[13]"Ceramic Matrix Composite Disc Brakes." - Appropedia: the sustainability Wiki. Np, nd Web. December 9, 2013.[14]Wikipedia Contributors. "Ceramic matrix composite." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, November 14, 2013. Web. December 10, 2013. Side note: We know this is Wikipedia, but it cites 30 reliable sources that are all academic journals. Most sites required payment, so we couldn't cite those sources, which is why we had to resort to Wikipedia for general information.