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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Julius Wong who wrote (209993)	1/6/2025 11:14:58 PM
From: TobagoJack	1 Recommendation Recommended By Cogito Ergo Sum Respond to of 217544

re <<New hydrovoltaic cell continuously generates electricity with little water and no sunlight>> there seems to be an explosion of STEM in China-China-China here is a story about a youngster selected and accepted to the core team of the Team how to make prospective mother-in-law happy

To: Julius Wong who wrote (209993)	1/7/2025 3:11:16 AM
From: TobagoJack	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 217544

Re <<New>> ... chalk another bonus due to sanctions scmp.com China makes first industrial-grade niobium alloy for hypersonic flight An experiment conducted in space has helped Chinese scientists do the impossible – and it could revolutionise aerospace technology Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 1:00pm, 7 Jan 2025 Updated: 2:56pm, 7 Jan 2025 For more than three years in the Tiangong space station, astronauts have been conducting a seemingly mundane experiment. It involves striking alloy particles that are suspended in a vacuum chamber with a laser and then recording the subtle changes that occur as the particles cool. The experiment has been going for so long that the equipment and samples have been replaced three times. But it has been worth it. Using data from the astronauts’ work, scientists back on Earth have now managed, for the first time, to produce niobium-silicon alloy that meets the stringent requirements of industrial applications. This development could potentially revolutionise aerospace technology. Turbofan engine blades made from niobium-silicon alloy, for instance, can withstand temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Celsius (3,092 degrees Fahrenheit). Lighter than the nickel or titanium alloys that are commonly used today, and with three times the compressive strength at high temperatures, engines made of such a material would be able to reach speeds and operational efficiency that are impossible with existing technology. But niobium-silicon alloy has two major drawbacks that stop it from being mass-produced: the growth of its high-strength crystals is very slow, requiring 100 hours at nearly 1,600 degrees Celsius to complete, and the resulting samples are extremely brittle at room temperature, unable to meet the requirements of engine manufacturing factories. Rare metal niobium could be the key in revolutionising the aerospace industry, according to researchers. Photo: Shutterstock But those problems have now been solved by the team led by Wei Bingbo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor with the Northwestern Polytechnical University’s school of physical science and technology. Using a new rapid cooling method, they have achieved a production speed of nearly 9cm per second for high-quality niobium-silicon crystals. Furthermore, by adding trace amounts of hafnium, they have increased the alloy’s room-temperature strength by over three times, meeting the requirements for engine assembly lines. “Improving fracture toughness is crucial for the industrial application of niobium-silicon-based alloys,” Wei and his colleagues wrote in a peer-reviewed paper published on December 27 in Acta Physica Sinica, a journal run by the Chinese Physical Society. Northwestern Polytechnical University, located in the ancient city of Xian, has faced severe sanctions from the United States due to its research and development of cutting-edge technologies, such as hypersonic aircraft that can travel long distances at five times the speed of sound or faster. The US sanctions have prompted increased support for the university from the Chinese government and military. As a result, since 2021, Wei’s team has been allowed to conduct experiments on the still-under-construction Chinese space station. Thanks to the microgravity environment, the Chinese scientists have observed some unprecedented phenomena, including a unique shrinkage pore structure produced during the rapid solidification of the alloy and a completely different crystal growth pattern compared to previous ground experiments. 02:04 Chinese astronauts complete world record-breaking 9-hour spacewalk These fundamental scientific discoveries have helped Wei’s team gain a deeper understanding of the physical nature of niobium-silicon alloy, leading to the development of more practical and efficient preparation methods. “This is a gift from heaven,” said a materials scientist working in Beijing who was not involved in the research. “It’s hard to imagine a team being able to secure so many resources and persist for so long in conducting such a challenging experiment in space. If niobium-silicon alloy can be mass-produced in the future, it will give China a huge advantage in the military and high-end manufacturing sectors. “This is proof of how important it is for a country to have its own space station.” The International Space Station, which is much larger than Tiangong, prohibits military-related research and requires results to be shared among member countries. China’s application to join the ISS was vetoed by the US in the 1990s. Niobium is a rare metal, and China is the largest consumer of niobium, mainly using it to manufacture high-performance steels. But China’s own niobium reserves account for less than 1 per cent of the world’s total. Brazil produces nearly 90 per cent of the world’s niobium. The South American country is a member of Brics, an association of major emerging economies which includes China, and it is one of China’s main ore suppliers.