Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?

Ever wondered how jet engines survive scorching combustion temperatures that would liquefy most metals? This video breaks down the magic: turbine blades are forged from nickel-based superalloys strengthened by tiny γ′ precipitates, grown as single crystals to eliminate grain-boundary creep, and precision-cast with internal cooling channels. A steady film of cooler air on the blade surfaces, plus clever edge-dislocation blocking in the crystal lattice, keeps everything rock-solid even at 1,500 °C.

Alongside a tour of Rolls-Royce’s casting facility and the engine’s 1930s origins, you’ll see how the latest microstructure animations and manufacturing tricks—like directional solidification—push materials science to its limits. It’s a whirlwind primer on why these marvels of engineering don’t just survive the heat… they thrive in it.

Watch on YouTube