Engine blade rejuvenation via hot isostatic pressing (HIP)

Tom's collaboration with a student showed HIP could restore the original gamma prime microstructure of coarsened GTD-111 blades, enabling another 30,000-hour service life at ~$25,000/blade.

We showed, with a student, that we could rejuvenate and get the original microstructure. Because you're taking it up to 2,000 degrees, dissolving the gamma prime in the nickel matrix, and then if you cool it down right, you get the original microstructure back. So it turns out we could rejuvenate the GTD-111 blades. These blades can be quite large on a commercial turbine — they might be twenty-five thousand dollars apiece. So the repair value, not having to take it out of service — you get another 30,000 hours, maybe five years until the patent runs out, okay.