A research project in which the Micro-Nano Design Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kookmin University is participating (co-advisors: Professor Lee Kee Sung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Lee Dongheon of the Department of Automotive Engineering) has been selected as one of the “Top 10 Mechanical Technologies of the Year in Korea for 2026.”

At the “25th Mechanical Engineering Day” commemorative event held on October 29, the Korea Federation of Mechanical Engineering Societies selected and announced 10 outstanding mechanical technologies and products developed in Korea over the past year. Among them was the “Domestically Produced Aircraft Engine Protective Coating” technology, led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

The selected “Aviation Engine Protective Coating” technology (Project Title: High-Reliability Oxidation-Resistant Thermal Barrier Coating Technology for High-Temperature/High-Speed Turbines; Project Leader: Dr. Kim Jin-hyung of the Agency for Defense Development) is a ceramic coating technology designed to protect core components of aviation engines in high-temperature environments. It is regarded as a core technology that ensures the durability and reliability of components in high-temperature oxidative environments and contributes to improving the efficiency of aircraft engines through its thermal barrier performance. Seven industry, academic, and research institutions participated in the project, conducting applied research for four years starting in 2020, and have been carrying out research in the test and development phase from 2025 to the present.

Kookmin University’s Micro-Nano Design Laboratory has been continuously involved in this project from its early stages in 2020 to the present, conducting evaluations of the thermal shock and oxidation resistance of coating materials for aircraft engines, as well as analyzing the damage and delamination behavior of the coating layers. This research plays a crucial role in assessing the stability and durability of the coating layers in high-temperature environments and verifying the reliability of the developed technology.

Throughout this process, master’s degree candidates from multiple cohorts—including Seo Min-ji, Lee Seung-yoon, Shin Jae-won, and Ahn Jae-yeon—as well as numerous undergraduate research students have sequentially participated, accumulating research achievements. This long-term, continuous participation in the research has not only enhanced the students’ specialized research capabilities but also contributed to maintaining the continuity of joint industry-academia-research collaboration.

The technology selected this time is a domestically developed technology that can be applied not only to the defense sector but also to the civilian aviation industry; it is expected to contribute to the self-reliance of core domestic aircraft engine technologies and to enhancing the technological competitiveness of related industries in the future.