What materials stronger than steel could be used to build engines?

Answer 1

Ceramics are increasingly making inroads into certain parts of gas turbines. Their strength at high temperature is unrivaled provided they are not used in a way that promotes brittle fracture. Startling improvements in thermodynamic efficiency can be achieved if the engine can operate at higher compression ratios.

Answer 2

Steel is a generic term. You must remember there are many types of steel, many advanced materials including new types of steel are being developed everyday with different properties that make them more suitable to one purpose or another.

Some of the properties that designers would look for to build engines would include ease of machinability, cost, brittleness/malleability.

Scientists have also experimented with advanced materials in hopes of making better engines. These materials include a variety of metal, carbon, plastic and ceramic composites.

Specific qualities they look for in new materials include rate of heat transfer, durability, weight, and efficiency, friction. Because the ultimate goal would be an engine that is cheap, light, durable, and uses the fuel put into it most efficiently.

Answer 3

In engineering applications the object is not to use the strongest material but the most appropriate. Steel and cast iron usually provide the best combination of strength, machinability, castability and cost. In some applications aluminum is also a good choice.

Answer 4

Plastic. Not like a soda bottle or anything, but a synthetic product. They already have a plastic engine they use in shows and races that does rather well. It has very little weight and good power.

Answer 5

Titanium, some steel alloy, an aluminum alloy