A team of Chinese scientists has developed a high-strength aluminum alloy that can function normally at 500 degrees Celsius. This work directly increases the use temperature of aluminum alloys from 350 degrees Celsius to over 400 degrees Celsius, solving a long-term engineering challenge.

Aluminum alloys are favored for their low density, high strength, and strong corrosion resistance, but their relatively low heat resistance poses a particular challenge. Researchers at Tianjin University embedded highly dispersed nanoparticles into aluminum alloys, which makes the aluminum alloys creep-resistant at temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, aluminum alloys added with highly dispersed nanoparticles have strong tensile strength, about 200 MPa, which is 6 times that of ordinary aluminum alloys.