THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY ANALYSIS OF NICKEL AND COBALT AS MATERIALS FOR TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURING
ABSTRACT Turbine blades experience degradation when exposed to high temperatures because they operate in extremely harsh environments where thermal, mechanical, and chemical stresses occur simultaneously. The selection of turbine blade material is crucial for ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and performance of aircraft engines. Advanced materials are employed to withstand high temperatures, pressures, and dynamic stresses, ultimately contributing to the overall effectiveness and safety of aircraft engines. The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative thermal analysis to ascertain the thermal capacity of nickel and cobalt. An attempt was made to use cobalt and nickel as turbine blade materials and steady state thermal analysis was carried out on ANSYS under temperature condition of 500C, 1000C and1500C. From the thermal analysis, cobalt maintained structural integrity at a temperature of 1495C. On the other hand, nickel material showed signs of degradation below 1495C. This shows that cobalt is a more suitable option to be used for turbine blade material. This is because of its high thermal strength and thermal conductivity. It is recommended to explore research on developing an alloy of cobalt to withstand a temperature beyond 2000C.
Authors : Andenyangtso, N.E., Joseph, K.D. and Bonet, M.U.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 12(1) Date Uploaded : 5th August 2026