In the early 1950s to 1960s, efficiency improvements in turbine engines was largely due to increases in turbine entry temperature, i.e., the temperature of the combustion chamber exhaust gases as they enter the turbine unit. Even today, higher entry temperatures are sought to further increase engine efficiency.

As the operating temperature increases, the durability of high-temperature components in the engine must increase as well to survive in such harsh environments. An insulation layer called the thermal barrier coating (TBC) is one way to improve durability.