Scientists create ultra-tough copper alloy that is stronger than steel and can withstand temperatures of 1500 F

In a first, researchers have developed a new copper alloy that's one of the most resilient copper-based materials ever made.

The new alloy, a mixture of copper, tantalum and lithium, was built on nanoscales to withstand extreme temperatures and strains, and could have crucial applications for aerospace, defense and industry. The researchers published their findings March 27 in the journal Science.

"This is cutting-edge science, developing a new material that uniquely combines copper's excellent conductivity with strength and durability on the scale of nickel-based superalloys," study co-author Martin Harmer, an professor emeritus of engineering at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

Currently, the most common materials used in high-stress environments such as gas turbine engines and chemical processing equipment are nickel-based superalloys, which are strong, resistant to corrosion and can withstand high temperatures.

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But these alloys fall short in terms of their electrical conductivity, limiting some of their potential applications. To solve this problem, the researchers sandwiched copper-lithium precipitates between two layers rich in tantalum, an element that is highly resistant to corrosion.

The team then refined the substance further by adding a tiny amount of lithium to change the precipitates' structure into stable cuboids, bolstering the alloy's strength and thermal resilience

"When we look inside our body, we try to look for fingerprints of cell mutation for cancer," study co-author Kiran Solanki, a professor of engineering at Arizona State University, said in a statement. "Similarly, structural materials have a unique fingerprint when they are subjected to any event like radiation or heat. And in this case, having a copper lithium precipitate with a stable bilayer of Ta [tantalum] is when we can alter high temperature fingerprint for failure."

The resulting material has an impressive combination of properties. Alongside its electrical conductivity, it can operate at temperatures up to 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit (800 degrees Celsius) and can withstand a maximum stress of 1,120 megapascals at room temperature — more than one and a half times the maximum pressure that steel can endure.

These traits mean it could be used in a variety of ways, the researchers said.

"It provides industry and the military with the foundation to create new materials for hypersonics and high performance turbine engines," Harmer said.

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