The uses and application fields of molybdenum rhenium alloys
Molybdenum rhenium alloy is a refractory metal alloy composed of molybdenum (Mo) and rhenium (Re), with the rhenium content usually ranging from 5% to 50%. Due to the significant improvement of the mechanical properties and high-temperature stability of molybdenum by the addition of rhenium, molybdenum rhenium alloys have important applications in multiple fields. In the aerospace field, the high melting point (>2600℃), excellent high-temperature strength and creep resistance of molybdenum rhenium alloys make them ideal materials for rocket engines, gas turbine components (such as nozzles, turbine blades, combustion chamber linings), and hypersonic vehicle thermal protection systems (such as leading edge structures and thermal protection layers). In the electronics industry, molybdenum-rhenium alloys are widely used in high-temperature heating elements (such as heating wires or crucibles for vacuum furnaces and monocrystalline silicon growth furnaces), semiconductor thin film deposition targets (for sputtering to prepare highly conductive and oxidation-resistant electrodes or barrier layers), and vacuum devices (such as cathode support structures for traveling wave tubes and magnetrons).
The application of molybdenum-rhenium alloys in the nuclear industry and other fields
In the nuclear industry, Mo-Re alloys have a smaller neutron absorption cross-section and better resistance to radiation swelling than pure molybdenum. Therefore, they are used as structural materials for nuclear reactors (such as fuel element casings or core components) and as the first wall materials for nuclear fusion devices (such as plasma withstand components in tokamak devices). In addition, molybdenum-rhenium alloys have a variety of special applications: in the medical field, their biocompatibility and X-ray opacity make them suitable for collimators in orthopedic implants or radiotherapy equipment; In the field of high-temperature measurement, molybdenum-rhenium alloys (such as Mo-50Re) can be used for high-temperature measurement thermocouples above 2000℃.
Other industrial applications and advantages of molybdenum-rhenium alloys
Molybdenum rhenium alloys are also widely used in other industrial fields. In the glass smelting industry, molybdenum-rhenium alloys are used as stirring rods or electrodes for molten glass due to their corrosion resistance and non-contamination of the glass. In chemical equipment, molybdenum rhenium alloys can be used in strong acid and strong alkali environments as corrosion-resistant structural materials. Molybdenum rhenium alloys, with their outstanding high-temperature performance, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, have become key materials in aerospace, electronics, nuclear energy and high-temperature equipment fields. In the future, with the further development of technology, their application scope is expected to expand further.
