Aluminium alloys are often used in space exploration because they are both lightweight and strong. But when they are exposed to intense radiation from the sun or the Milky Way for extended periods of time, their molecular structures change and become more fragile.
In 2019, Stefan Bogatsche and colleagues at the University of Leoben created a new alloy by mixing aluminum and magnesium alloys with zinc and copper and crushing them under extremely high pressure. The atoms of the new structure are tightly packed and have the unusual property of retaining their structure and hardness after exposure to high concentrations of radiation, but also becoming brittle and brittle, making them unusable in space.
By heating the alloy to above 200°C, the Bogatschach team made the size of the grains that make up the alloy become nanoscale rather than microscale. This change in properties helps it maintain its stability after being irradiated. Flexibility and strength. “This means that the material does not become embrittled and remains stable at extremely high irradiation limits,” said Bogatschie.
Using electron microscopy, the researchers examined the effects obtained by bombarding the new alloy with different doses of high-energy heavy ions, and found that the alloy was 100 times more resistant to radiation than the 6061 aluminum alloy widely used in spacecraft.
The new aluminum alloys are ideal for making spacecraft that are exposed to long-term irradiation, extending the life of space telescopes and other deep-space probes, for encapsulating tiny nuclear reactors on spacecraft, or for making Houses that people use on the Moon or Mars, etc. While they didn’t test the material’s ability to help shield astronauts from radiation, structural characterization suggests it may be better than what’s currently in use.