Modern materials, such as Aluminum and super alloys, realized a steam machine or an aircraft. Functional material, such as Silicon enhanced semiconductor technology leading to information-intensive society. Those prove that materials considerably determine the limits of technology progress.
On the other hand, however, the climate change due to CO2 emission which progress of modern civilization brought about is so severe that we need new, environmentally-friendly innovations by novel advanced materials. Aircraft is one of those, thus “Geared Turbofan,” fuel-efficient engine for next generation has been developed. This engine utilizes our newly-developed intermetallic titanium aluminides, so-called TNM alloys. Titanium aluminides have shortcomings, that is, low ductility at room temperature and extremely difficult forgeability even at high temperatures. However, I successfully developed intermetallic titanium aluminides which exhibits adaptive properties, for example, “soft” when hot-worked and “hard” when used as structural components with applying the most advanced experimental methods, such as computer simulation in atomic scale and novel in-situ techniques to study phase transition during processes.
This engine is being realized, which will be the highlight in a materials scientist’s life. Every one of us must do her or his share to create a “truly humane civilization.”