Researchers from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), together with colleagues from Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS and partner institutions, have developed a new high-temperature ceramic based on the double perovskite compound Ba₂YNbO₆.

The material remains stable at temperatures exceeding 2000 °C, making it a promising candidate for thermal barrier coatings used on the hottest parts of jet engines and power-plant gas turbines.

Why current coatings are reaching their limits

Modern jet engines and gas turbines operate under extremely harsh conditions. Temperatures in combustion chambers and turbine blades often exceed 1200–1300 °C.

To protect metal components, engineers use thermal barrier coatings, most commonly Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ).

However, under prolonged extreme heat these coatings gradually degrade due to:

  • phase transformations
  • sintering of the material
  • delamination from the metal surface

These processes shorten the lifetime of engine components.

As engine temperatures continue to rise to improve efficiency, engineers need materials with:

  • higher thermal stability
  • lower thermal conductivity
  • compatible thermal expansion with metal substrates

How the new material was discovered

The researchers used a combined computational and experimental approach.

First, they performed supercomputer simulations to predict the behavior of the crystal structure Ba₂YNbO₆ at extreme temperatures.

Using:

  • machine-learning interatomic potentials
  • nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations

they calculated key properties such as:

  • thermal conductivity
  • thermal expansion coefficient
  • structural stability

After theoretical prediction, the material was synthesized in Novosibirsk using solid-state reactions at temperatures up to 1500 °C.

Dense ceramic samples were then produced using Spark Plasma Sintering, a technique that creates nearly pore-free materials.

Performance in extreme conditions

Experimental tests confirmed the simulations.

The ceramic samples did not melt even near 2000 °C.

At 1000 °C, the material showed a thermal conductivity of about 1.9 W/(m·K) — significantly lower than that of conventional YSZ coatings.

Lower thermal conductivity means the ceramic blocks heat more effectively, protecting the metal components underneath.

According to lead researcher Majid Zeraati, modern computational methods made it possible to predict these properties with high accuracy before the material was even synthesized.

A breakthrough for future engines

Project leader Artem Oganov highlighted the role of advanced computational tools:

Using neural-network potentials and GPU acceleration, the team simulated systems containing about 20,000 atoms, allowing them to observe material behavior over nanosecond timescales.

This approach means scientists can now predict entirely new materials tailored for engineering challenges, rather than simply studying existing ones.

Why it matters

The new ceramic could enable next-generation high-temperature engines with:

  • higher operating temperatures
  • greater fuel efficiency
  • longer component lifetimes
  • reduced fuel consumption and emissions

Such improvements are particularly important for:

  • aviation, where higher efficiency lowers CO₂ emissions
  • power generation, where gas turbines could operate more efficiently

In brief

Scientists from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS developed a double-perovskite ceramic Ba₂YNbO₆ capable of withstanding temperatures above 2000 °C. With thermal conductivity of only 1.9 W/(m·K) at 1000 °C, it outperforms many current thermal barrier coatings. The material was discovered through machine-learning simulations, molecular dynamics, and spark plasma sintering, with experimental results closely matching theoretical predictions. It could significantly improve the efficiency and durability of future jet engines and gas turbines.