This material is expected to be ideal for manufacturing mechanical parts and structures operating in extreme cold conditions.
This material maintains mechanical properties even in extreme cold conditions. (Image: AI)
According to People’s Daily Online (China), scientists from the National University of Science and Technology in Russia and China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing have collaborated to develop a new composite material that can maintain its mechanical properties even at extremely low temperatures, down to -150℃. This material is composed of metals and metallic glass compounds, forming a layered structure.
A key feature of this material is its resistance to brittle fracture at low temperatures. When impacted, the material does not shatter into pieces like traditional materials. This phenomenon is related to the transformation process at the boundary between crystalline metals and amorphous metal alloys. When a crack forms at this boundary, the atoms at the crack tip move, causing intense localized heating that makes the metal more ductile, altering its fracture properties and preventing crack propagation. This helps the specimen maintain its strength in low-temperature conditions.
Additionally, this new material is also easy to process and improve, with a manufacturing technology based on traditional welding of different composition materials. The research team has identified effective temperatures to prevent the crystallization of metallic glass when the components bond well together.
In the future, the team plans to optimize the manufacturing process and enhance the material’s composition to improve mechanical strength and radiation resistance in low-temperature environments. They believe this invention will find wide applications in fields such as aerospace, cold industry, and operations in polar regions, especially in the manufacturing of mechanical parts and structures operating in extreme cold conditions.
