Introduction

Abstract

Operation at high temperature is of fundamental importance to many major sectors of industry, including material production and processing, chemical engineering, power generation, transportation and aerospace. For the majority of processes, efficiency increases with increasing process temperature. Thus the ability to operate at high temperature is a crucial factor for industrial competitiveness. This ability is dependent on the availability of materials capable of withstanding the mechanical and environmental conditions of the particular operation. Typical operating temperatures for materials in industrial processes and machinery are illustrated in.