Scientists Identify Possible New Substance With Highest Melting Point

JoshuaZ writes: Researchers from Brown University have tentatively identified an alloy of hafnium, nitrogen and carbon as having an expected melting point of about 7,460 degrees Fahrenheit (4120 Celsius). This exceeds that of the previous record-breaker, tantalum hafnium carbide, which melts at 7,128 F (3942 C). Its record stood for almost a century. At this point, the new alloy is still hypothetical, based on simulations, so the new record has not yet been confirmed by experiment. The study was published in Physical Review B (abstract), and a lay-summary is available at the Washington Post. If the simulations turn out to be correct, the new alloy may be useful in parts like jet engines, and the door will be opened to using similar simulations to search for substances with even higher melting points or with other exotic properties.

Comments

Make the stuff

[gurps_npc]

Then publicize. Don't dream up a vaporware material and talk about that to the press.

Re:Probably not useful

[Plazmid]

Current jet turbine blades(at least the first stage ones) are made of some of the most exotic materials we know of using some pretty expensive manufacturing processes. First stage jet turbine blades are almost always made of single crystalline super alloy. Oh and they're hollow, so they have to be made from a crazy investment mold. Oh and tiny holes have to be EDM'd into them.

It's a pretty expensive to make them, but it's worth it. All this crazy manufacturing is to done so that jet turbines can burn hotter, so that by Carnot they're more efficient. Even small changes in efficiency can be worth millions of dollars in fuel savings.

So as long as this material isn't as hard to process as ceramics(and it exists), it will probably find some use in a jet engine.

Re:Probably not useful

[Bob the Super Hamste]

Those blades also have exotic coatings and actually operate at a temperature above the melting point of the metal in them. A couple of weeks ago I heard the BBC Elements program on nickel and they were bringing up its use in jet engines. Jet turbines use the vast majority of the very limited supply (about 70% of 40 tons) of rhenium produced each year and it is one of the most expensive metals so I doubt the cost is an issue.