China sets new record with 3,100°C heating of tungsten alloy in space experiment

The experiment was conducted in the container-free material science laboratory cabinet aboard the Tianhe core module.

The cabinet has been operating for the past four years on experiments on heat-resistant masters that can withstand the flames of rocket engines, such as tungsten alloy, niobium alloy, and some new materials.

This time, it heated tungsten alloy to over 3,100 degrees Celsius, nearly half the temperature of the sun's surface.

The record was through collaboration between the in-orbit crew and a ground-based research team led by the School of Physical Science and Technology at the Northwestern Polytechnical University.

In the ground-based laboratory, the research team has developed an electrostatic levitation device that employs an electric field to counteract gravity. It allows the experimental material to float in a stable state inside the container-free material science laboratory cabinet on the space station. The team conducted extensive ground-based preliminary experiments before designing a research plan for the space station.

Hu Liang, professor at the School of Physical Science and Technology, explained the reasons behind conducting the experiment in space.

Firstly, the microgravity conditions of the space station allow molten tungsten to achieve a perfectly spherical shape, which is ideal for precisely studying its physical and chemical properties.

The second reason is that tungsten, due to its high density, tends to separate unevenly when alloyed with other elements in Earth's gravity, while in the microgravity environment, the tungsten alloy achieves a uniform composition and structure, greatly enhancing its performance, he said.

Tungsten has the highest melting point known to date, reaching 3,412 degrees Celsius. The exceptional heat resistance makes tungsten and its alloys crucial for applications in extreme environments, such as nuclear fusion reactors.

For years, scientists have faced challenges in understanding the physical and chemical properties of tungsten alloys at ultra-high temperatures.

This experiment has not only validated the extraordinary performance of China's self-designed space material science experiment cabinet, but also accumulated a large amount of original data from ultra-high temperature material experiments in space, said Hu.

The research findings will offer important theoretical basis for the design and performance improvement of new tungsten alloys, and will play a significant role in fundamental research on the application of ultra-high temperature materials in the nuclear industry and aerospace field, he added.

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