BGRIMM Technology Group (BGRIMM Group) recently achieved a major breakthrough in its newly developed high-performance abradable seal coating technology, solving a long-standing bottleneck in the development of China’s advanced equipment.
Abradable seal coatings are essential components in Aerospace engines, gas turbines, and steam turbines, critical for national defense and energy security. These coatings act as essential protectors, facilitating precise dynamic sealing, preventing rotor damage, boosting equipment efficiency by 1 percent, cutting energy consumption by 1.5 percent, and notably prolonging the lifespan of hot-end components.
Crafting the elusive “magic coating” poses significant challenges. Abradable seal coatings must endure harsh conditions of intense heat and high-speed rotor interaction over extended periods. They are designed to wear away, acting as a sacrificial layer, yet they also need to possess strong adhesion to prevent detachment.
China’s early coatings often suffered from delamination, rotor wear, and short lifespans, becoming a major obstacle to high-end equipment development.
With support from over ten national-level projects, the technical team developed a test platform that simulates high-temperature and high-speed working conditions. This enabled them to uncover the mechanisms of wear under extreme conditions and understand how different material compositions affect abradability.
Based on these findings, the team proposed an innovative design that balances structural strength and abradability. This breakthrough enabled them to master the entire technical chain — from design and materials to coating application and performance evaluation.
To date, the team has developed eight types of long-lifespan abradable seal coating materials, covering a full range of operating temperatures and reaching world-class performance benchmarks. They also developed a cutting-edge abradability testing machine capable of operating at 1,200 °C and 450 m/s, with precise wear particle collection, matching the most advanced international standards.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
