Articles tagged with "high-temperature-materials"
New super steel could protect nuclear reactors from lead corrosion
A breakthrough study by researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology has revealed the rapid and severe corrosion mechanism of AISI 316L stainless steel when exposed to liquid lead at high temperatures (up to 800°C or 1472°F). Contrary to previous assumptions that a protective iron oxide layer forms, the study found that an ultra-thin liquid lead film—only one micron thick—triggers nickel leaching from the steel. This nickel dissolves into the lead, leaving behind a weak, porous ferritic structure prone to being eroded by flowing lead coolant, resulting in metal loss measured in millimeters per year rather than microns. Because this corrosion process fundamentally attacks the steel’s composition, simply modifying the alloy is unlikely to prevent degradation. Instead, the researchers propose a layered composite solution using alumina-forming ferritic steels (FeCrAl), which develop a self-healing alumina (Al2O3) film that resists lead corrosion even at extreme temperatures. When combined with conventional
materialsstainless-steelcorrosion-resistancenuclear-reactorssuper-steelhigh-temperature-materialsmetal-corrosionLight, extremely strong material withstands 932°F temperature, could be useful for aerospace
Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have developed a novel lightweight and extremely strong metal matrix composite capable of withstanding temperatures up to 932°F (500°C), making it highly promising for aerospace and other high-performance applications. The material mimics the structure of reinforced concrete on a microscopic scale, featuring a titanium alloy mesh acting as "rebar" surrounded by a matrix composed of aluminum, silicon, magnesium, and embedded alumina and silicon nanoprecipitates. This design, enabled by additive manufacturing and micro-casting techniques, allows precise control over the composite’s microstructure, resulting in exceptional strength and thermal resistance. Testing revealed that the composite exhibits a yield strength of around 700 megapascals at room temperature—significantly higher than typical aluminum matrices—and maintains 300 to 400 megapascals at 500°C, compared to just 5 megapascals for conventional aluminum alloys. This performance rivals medium-range steels but at roughly one-third the weight, addressing a critical limitation of aluminum alloys
materialscomposite-materialsaerospace-materialsmetal-matrix-compositeadditive-manufacturinghigh-temperature-materialslightweight-materialsUS scientists develop world-first metallic gel for next-gen batteries
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed the world’s first metallic gel, a novel material combining metals with gel-like properties that can withstand extreme heat. This breakthrough emerged unexpectedly during experiments with a copper-tantalum metal mixture heated near 1,000°C. In this process, copper melted into a liquid while tantalum remained solid, forming a microscopic scaffold that trapped the liquid copper within, creating a stable gel-like metallic structure. Unlike traditional organic gels, metallic gels maintain stability at very high temperatures, making them promising for demanding industrial and energy storage applications. The team demonstrated the practical potential of metallic gels by constructing a liquid metal battery (LMB) using this gel as an electrode. Conventional LMBs, while efficient for energy storage, have been limited to stationary use because the liquid components shift during movement, risking short circuits. The metallic gel’s internal scaffold immobilizes the liquid metal without compromising performance, enabling the possibility of portable or transportable LMBs suitable for powering ships, industrial machinery,
energymaterialsmetallic-gelliquid-metal-batteriesenergy-storagehigh-temperature-materialsbattery-technologyMetallic gel discovery could make liquid metal batteries safer
Researchers at Texas A&M University have created the world’s first metallic gel, a novel material that combines solid and liquid metal phases to form a gel-like structure capable of withstanding extreme heat. This metallic gel is produced by mixing two powdered metals and heating them until one melts while the other remains solid, creating a fine internal scaffold that traps the molten metal inside. Unlike traditional gels made from organic materials, this metallic gel is entirely metallic and can survive temperatures around 1,000°C (1,832°F). The discovery challenges previous assumptions that liquid metals could not be supported by an internal solid skeleton, with copper and tantalum mixtures demonstrating stable gel-like behavior. This breakthrough has significant implications for liquid metal batteries (LMBs), which use molten metal layers to store and release energy but face challenges due to liquid metal shifting and causing short circuits during movement. The metallic gel’s ability to hold liquid metal in place could enable LMBs to function reliably in dynamic environments such as ships or heavy industrial vehicles
metallic-gelliquid-metal-batteriesenergy-storageadvanced-materialshigh-temperature-materialsbattery-safetymetal-compositesUS creates super metal foam that survives 1.3 million stress cycles
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a novel Composite Metal Foam (CMF) that combines lightness with exceptional strength and thermal resistance, making it highly suitable for demanding applications such as automotive engines, jet parts, and nuclear reactor components. CMF is composed of hollow metal spheres (e.g., stainless steel or nickel) embedded within a solid metal matrix, resulting in a material that absorbs crushing forces effectively while providing superior insulation against extreme heat compared to conventional metals. In rigorous testing, the steel-based CMF demonstrated outstanding fatigue resistance, enduring over 1.3 million compression-compression stress cycles at temperatures up to 752°F (400°C) and more than 1.2 million cycles at 1,112°F (600°C) without failure. These results are particularly notable given that the fatigue life of solid stainless steel typically decreases significantly at elevated temperatures. The research highlights CMF’s potential to maintain structural integrity under prolonged high-stress and high-temperature conditions, which is critical for safety-sensitive
materialsmetal-foamcomposite-metal-foamfatigue-resistancehigh-temperature-materialsnuclear-reactor-materialslightweight-strong-materialsMIT filter resists 1,000 Kelvin heat to cut hydrogen production cost
MIT engineers have developed a novel palladium-based membrane filter that can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 kelvins, significantly surpassing the 800-kelvin limit of conventional palladium membranes used in hydrogen production. Palladium is prized for its ability to selectively allow hydrogen molecules to pass while blocking other gases, a critical function in hydrogen fuel generation. The breakthrough comes from redesigning the membrane’s structure: instead of a continuous palladium film that degrades at high heat, the new membrane features palladium deposited as “plugs” within the pores of a silica support. This plug design prevents the metal from shrinking or clumping under extreme temperatures, maintaining stability and hydrogen separation efficiency even after 100 hours of testing at 1,000 kelvins. This enhanced thermal resilience—an improvement of about 200 kelvins—makes the membrane particularly suitable for high-temperature hydrogen-generating processes like steam methane reforming and ammonia cracking, which are essential for producing zero-carbon fuel and electricity
energyhydrogen-productionpalladium-membranehigh-temperature-materialshydrogen-fuelenergy-technologymaterial-scienceUS firm to build 3,275°F brick battery to cut steel, cement emissions
Electrified Thermal Solutions, a Boston-based MIT spinout, has partnered with HarbisonWalker International (HWI), a leading U.S. refractory materials supplier, to manufacture electrically conductive firebricks called E-bricks. These E-bricks are integral to Electrified Thermal’s Joule Hive Thermal Battery, a system that converts renewable electricity into and stores heat at extremely high temperatures—up to 3,275°F (1,800°C). This heat level is sufficient to power energy-intensive industrial processes such as steel, cement, and glass manufacturing, which traditionally depend on fossil fuels. By producing E-bricks at HWI’s existing U.S. plants, the partnership leverages established supply chains and infrastructure, enabling rapid scaling without the need for new manufacturing facilities. The Joule Hive system addresses a critical challenge in decarbonizing heavy industry: generating high-temperature heat without fossil fuels. Using solid-state components, the system stores and releases extreme heat electrically, offering a cleaner alternative to burning
energythermal-energy-storagebrick-batterydecarbonizationindustrial-heatrenewable-energyhigh-temperature-materialsBreakthrough cladding tech promises longer life for US nuclear fuel
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), a San Diego-based firm, has made a significant breakthrough in nuclear fuel cladding technology with its Silicon Carbide (SiC) composite material called SiGA. This multilayer composite cladding can withstand temperatures up to 3,452°F (1900°C), which is six times hotter than the conditions in current light-water, pressurized water reactors. The SiGA cladding features a patented localized SiC joining method that creates gas-tight, hermetic seals without exposing nuclear fuel pellets to high-temperature water, enhancing stability during temperature cycling and reducing manufacturing time. Fuel cladding serves as a critical barrier between nuclear fuel pellets and reactor coolant, ensuring safety and operational integrity. GA-EMS has demonstrated that its SiGA cladding exhibits superior high-temperature and irradiation resistance, verified through testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Westinghouse’s reactor coolant test facility. After 180 days of exposure to corrosive water coolant, the SiC joints remained
energynuclear-energysilicon-carbidefuel-claddinghigh-temperature-materialsreactor-safetycomposite-materials