Cheap and sturdy, iron-aluminum alloy can replace titanium

Light and tough, a promising new component is also cheaper than one of the world's most coveted metals. Scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea have made an iron-aluminum structure that can replace titanium alloys used in aircraft, ships, heavy equipment and military cars, for example.

The synthesized material makes use of the main properties of each of its "ingredients": iron is in fact quite strong but heavy. But how, then, to make the product lighter and yet resistant? Abundant and cheap aluminum was not the only material added to the mix: this time, researchers added nickel to the alloy as well - usually it is manganese that gets mixed together with iron and aluminum (this is common in cars).

At one tenth of the price of titanium, the new combination can be used not only on aircraft or construction machinery; even bicycles could be made from aluminum iron. It turns out that B2 crystals formed by the addition of nickel create layers of overlapping atoms (like blades facing each other). The result is high workforce and impact resistance - even the density of the new material is similar to that of titanium.

But the wonder that contemporary science was able to create could be contemplated only in the laboratory. If it is to depend on POSCO, one of the largest steelmakers, the new iron and aluminum alloy should soon start to be produced on an industrial scale - the company is expected to test South Korean researchers later this year; The use of the component for car manufacturing, however, is not currently being considered.

Via TecMundo