Tomsk State University scientists create a 50-percent sturdier alloy for the Arctic and space exploration

Created by scientists at the Laboratory for Physics of High-Strength Crystals, Siberian Physical-Technical Institute, Tomsk State University (TSU), an alloy of cobalt, nickel, aluminum and iron (CoNiAlFe) is highly resistant to operating and temperature loads and can be used in the manufacture of components and drives for icebreakers and spacecraft, TSU Press Service reports.  

“The results that have been obtained show that iron alloying expands the range of operating temperatures by 50° C with a shift to the low-temperature area. Besides, the CoNiAlFe alloy can withstand 50-percent higher loads than CoNiAl,” the report says.

A material with bilateral shape memory effect allows to make units not only highly reliable but also simple, compact and easy to assemble and service.  Moreover, producing the alloy is economically within reach for other laboratories and manufacturing facilities.

At the final stage, the TSU physicists are planning to explore the cyclical and thermomechanical stability of the CoNiAlFe alloy. Its properties will be tested throughout more than 100 cycles under the impact of high loads and temperatures.