Chinese scientists make breakthrough in rare metals research aboard space station

Chinese scientists have recently made a number of scientific discoveries related to high-performance refractory alloys, resulting from experiments conducted aboard China's orbiting space station, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization revealed on Wednesday.

Their research, led by a team from China's Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), is a substantial leap forward in the theoretical study of space materials science.

High-performance refractory alloys are rare metal materials with melting points exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius.

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Since April 2021, more than 10 high-performance refractory alloy sample types prepared by the research team have been subjected to six rounds of in-orbit experiments in the space station's containerless experiment cabinet. The cabinet can hold samples in a state of suspension to avoid possible shape changes caused by contact with a container surface.

Key experiments have been conducted under these microgravity conditions, including experiments related to electrostatic levitation, solidification, heating and melting, and the determination of the thermophysical properties of refractory alloys.

"Through our analysis of the returned samples, we determined the key properties of refractory alloys at ultra-high temperatures, and our results include a series of new discoveries with important scientific value," said Wang Haipeng, a member of the research team and a professor at NPU.