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"Monster Alloy" Developed in China Remains Strong at 2,400°C... Metal Could Revolutionize Aerospace and Space Industries
byLim JuhyeongUpdated 29 Jul.2026 14:44(KST)
Tantalum’s Heat Resistance Comes With a Trade-Off: Weakening at Extreme Temperatures
A team of Chinese researchers has developed an alloy that maintains its strength even at extreme temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees Celsius, attracting significant attention. This technology has the potential to be applied to cutting-edge fields such as hypersonic aircraft, spacecraft, and next-generation nuclear reactors in the future.The Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) recently reported that a research team from Xi'an Jiaotong University in China presented the results of their research on a new tantalum-based alloy in the international journal 'Nature.' Tantalum is a hard, silver-gray metal characterized by its high melting point and excellent electrical conductivity.
Parts made of tantalum. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Screenshot from the Future Alloys website.
The research team created a new alloy using tantalum. Tantalum itself is already known as one of the most heat-resistant materials among existing metals, with a melting point of around 3,000 degrees Celsius. However, traditional alloys made from tantalum have had a limitation: their strength decreases significantly at extreme high temperatures, posing obstacles for industrial applications.
The research team resolved this strength issue by precisely controlling the microstructure inside the alloy. As a result, this alloy can now maintain a stable internal structure even under extremely high temperatures.
Materials that do not lose strength at ultra-high temperatures are essential for aircraft engines, spacecraft, rocket engines, and nuclear reactors. Turbine blades used in today's jet engines are made of nickel-based superalloys, but even these lose strength as temperatures approach 2,000 degrees Celsius. The technology for producing nickel-based superalloys is controlled by leading jet engine manufacturing countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The new tantalum-based alloy is drawing attention for maintaining its strength even at temperatures as high as 2,400 degrees Celsius.
However, tantalum alloys have yet to demonstrate the same performance in real industrial conditions as they have in laboratory settings. The researchers plan to further verify whether the alloy continues to perform well through repeated heating and cooling experiments, as well as to test its resistance to oxidation and corrosion.
"Monster Alloy" Developed in China Remains Strong at 2,400°C... Metal Could Revolutionize Aerospace and Space Industries - The Asia Business Daily
A team of Chinese researchers has developed an alloy that maintains its strength even at extreme temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees Celsius, attracti
