ABSTRACT
Ceramic matrix composite materials (CMCs) have been with us now for 20 years. Advances have been great but integration into advanced engineering applications has been at best slow. This chapter reviews the current opportunities for ceramic matrix composites to be exploited in industrial gas turbine (IGT) applications. In order to evaluate the potential of ceramic matrix composites to be used in these applications one commercially available material has been evaluated under service-relevant conditions for industrial gas turbines. The microstructure evolution is explained in terms of themechanical properties showing the need for improvements to ensure utilization. A proposed path for ceramic matrix composite development is shown.
