Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?

This Veritasium video dives into the nuts and bolts of jet engines—showing how airflow, massive turbines and compressors turn fuel into thrust—and why these behemoths don’t simply liquefy under scorching temperatures. You’ll get a tour of a Rolls-Royce casting facility, learn how single-crystal nickel superalloys and clever microstructures (thanks, edge dislocations!) let turbine blades survive in 1,500 °C environments, and even see a sand-injection test that would fry a normal metal component.

Along the way, Derek Muller digs into the history of the first jet engines, breaks down crystal-growth tricks that eliminate weak grain boundaries, and credits an all-star list of professors, engineers and animators who made it happen. If you’ve ever wondered how materials science keeps us flying safe at Mach speeds, this deep dive is your ticket.

Watch on YouTube