Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?

Ever wondered how jet engines survive scorching temperatures that would turn most metals to goo? This video breaks down the secrets: clever internal cooling channels, super-tough nickel-based alloys (hello, γ′ precipitates!), and precision casting techniques that yield single-crystal turbine blades. You’ll get a whirlwind tour—from the very first jet engines to a peek inside Rolls-Royce’s casting facility—plus nifty demos like chucking sand into a running turbine to show just how resilient these beasts really are.

Along the way, Derek Muller teams up with materials scientists and engineers to explore edge dislocations, crystal structures, and all the high-tech wizardry that keeps those turbine blades from melting despite blasting past 1,600 °C. It’s a fun, fast-paced dive into aerospace engineering that proves physics (and a bit of fancy metallurgy) can conquer almost any inferno.

Watch on YouTube