Kang Lee

Dr. Kang Lee joined NASA Glenn Research Center in 1990 after postdoctoral training at University of Pennsylvania. He began his research on Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBC) for SiC and made the first major break-through by developing a new durable mullite coating by 1994. He subsequently led the EBC development for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC), which resulted in the first and second generation EBCs in late 1990s – early 2000s. These EBCs enabled successful CMC components engine tests through 2000s, culminating in the insertion of a CMC component in a GE-CFM international commercial engine in 2016. He became an international authority in the field of EBCs by early 2000s. He moved to Rolls-Royce in 2005 to start the EBC program and delivered the first Rolls-Royce EBC by 2018. This EBC was applied on CMC vanes in an engine and successfully tested in 2010. He was promoted to a Rolls-Royce Associate Fellow in recognition of the success. Under his leadership, Rolls-Royce EBC technology was elevated from ~10 years behind other engine companies to a competitive level by the time he left the Company in 2016. Since returning to NASA in 2016, he led the next generation EBC R&D, resulting in two new EBCs: Modified second generation EBC with >10x oxidation life (US patent pending) and an ultra-high temperature EBC comprising a 1480C-capable oxide-based bond coat (US patent awarded). One license agreement has been signed and a second license agreement is in process. Besides his technical leadership, he has made impactful contributions to the ceramics community by developing and mentoring people (4 PhDs and 4 Postdocs) and to the ACerS by organizing conference symposiums and delivering invited lectures.