Identification of Foreign Objects Damaging Compressor Blades in Turbojet Engines

Damage to the compressor blades of turbojet engines due to ingestion of foreign objects is a growing problem, the solution of which has been made more difficult by the large percentage of damaging materials that have remained unknown. A rapid emission spectroscopic method was devised to identify the chemical composition of these foreign objects. Results on laboratory-prepared specimens and blades from damaged engines show that the method can be utilized to determine the nature of the ingested foreign objects.