A space experiment has successfully accomplished what many previously deemed impossible, potentially leading to groundbreaking advancements in aerospace technology.
Astronauts have been conducting an experiment that may appear ordinary at first glance.
The process involves colliding alloy particles suspended in a vacuum chamber with a laser, closely observing them, and then recording the fine changes that occur as the particles cool down.
The experiment has been ongoing for such a prolonged period that the equipment and samples have needed to be replaced a total of three times. However, all the effort has paid off, as a significant outcome has finally been achieved.
Scientists on Earth have now successfully produced niobium-silicon alloy for the very first time that meets the demanding criteria for industrial use.
Engines featuring turbofan blades made from a niobium-silicon alloy can tolerate temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Celsius, or 3,092 degrees Fahrenheit.
Alloys widely used today, and boasting three times the compressive strength at high temperatures, engines fashioned from such a material could achieve velocities and operational effectiveness unattainable by existing technology.
There are two critical hurdles that prevent the wide-scale production of niobium-silicon alloy: the slow growth of its high-strength crystals, requiring a time-consuming process of 100 hours at around 1,600 degrees Celsius, and the resulting samples become extremely fragile at room temperature, failing to meet the standards of engine manufacturing facilities.
Those issues have now been overcome by the team led by Wei Bingbo, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor with the School of Physical Science and Technology at Northwestern Polytechnical University.
They have successfully implemented a new rapid cooling process, capable of producing high-quality niobium-silicon crystals at a rate of nearly 9cm per second. Concurrently, incorporating minute amounts of hafnium has significantly enhanced the alloy’s tensile strength at room temperature, thereby surpassing the performance standards necessary for engine manufacturing operations.
“It is vital to enhance the fracture toughness of niobium-silicon-based alloys for practical use in industry,” Wei and his team stated in a study released on December 27 in Acta Physica Sinica, which is a journal from the Chinese Physical Society.
The United States boasts a leading research and development in cutting-edge technologies, particularly notable in its achievements with hypersonic aircraft, which are capable of traversing long distances at a velocity of five times the speed of sound or exceeding it.
The university’s collaboration with China has garnered increased backing from the Chinese government and military. Consequently, starting in 2021, Wei’s team has been authorized to conduct research on the as-yet unfinished Chinese space station.
Thanks to the microgravity environment, Chinese scientists have observed unprecedented phenomena, such as a unique pore structure formed when the alloy solidifies rapidly and a crystal growth pattern distinct from that observed in previous experiments on Earth.
These groundbreaking scientific findings have enabled Wei’s team to achieve a more profound insight into the physical properties of niobium-silicon alloy, resulting in the creation of more efficient and practical fabrication processes.
“This is a gift from heaven,” commented a materials scientist in Beijing, who was unaffiliated with the research.
The mass production of a niobium-silicon alloy in the future would likely provide China with a significant strategic advantage in both its military and high-end manufacturing industries.
“The significance of a country having its own space station has been demonstrated,” the researcher stated, preferring to remain unidentified given the delicate nature of the subject.
The proposal was vetoed by the United States in the 1990s.
Niobium is a rare metal, and China is currently the largest consumer of this metal, primarily utilizing it in the production of high-performance steels.
China holds less than one percent of the world’s niobium reserve. Brazil is the primary niobium producer, accounting for nearly 90 percent of global production. As a member of the Brics, which includes emerging economies such as China, Brazil is one of China’s key suppliers of ore.
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This article was first published on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a leading news provider offering coverage on China and Asia.
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