Robert Friedland(@robert_ivanhoe):A modern jet engine is a cocktail of different alloys, compounds and superalloys using many of the little-known critical elements across the periodic table. These critical elements are the backbone of our modern, high-tech industries, especially in aerospace and defence… and because they take years to develop, they cannot simply be replaced with something else overnight. The yttrium compound used in jet engines is called yttria-stabilized zirconia (yttrium oxide combined with zirconium dioxide), which is a ceramic coating applied as a thermal barrier on nickel-based superalloy turbine blades. No yttrium means no jets… These minor metals have major consequences when they are no longer available.

2026.10.21 10:20

A modern jet engine is a cocktail of different alloys, compounds and superalloys using many of the little-known critical elements across the periodic table. These critical elements are the backbone of our modern, high-tech industries, especially in aerospace and defence… and because they take years to develop, they cannot simply be replaced with something else overnight. The yttrium compound used in jet engines is called yttria-stabilized zirconia (yttrium oxide combined with zirconium dioxide), which is a ceramic coating applied as a thermal barrier on nickel-based superalloy turbine blades. No yttrium means no jets… These minor metals have major consequences when they are no longer available.

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