Application of high-temperature furnace heating elements: Used as heaters or heat insulation screens in semiconductor single crystal growth furnaces (such as silicon and sapphire). Advantages: It can operate stably up to 1600℃ in an inert/vacuum environment. (2) Chemical corrosion-resistant equipment.
Application: It is used as an inner lining material for reactors with strong acids (such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid). Advantages: Lighter than Hastelloy and resistant to local corrosion.
Other special applications (1) Thermal protection applications for ultra-high sound velocity aircraft: Thermal protection structures for the leading edge of Scramjet engines. Advantage: Maintains structural strength at a short-term high temperature of over 2000℃. (2) Medical radiation shielding. Application: Beam collimator for proton therapy equipment (replacing tungsten to reduce secondary radiation).
Anti-oxidation coating technology Niobium alloys are prone to oxidation in air above 500℃ and require silicide coatings (such as NbSi2) or ceramic coatings (such as ZrO2) for protection. Progress: The coating (Mo-Si-B system) can increase the oxidation resistance temperature to 1700℃. Gradient SiC coating, used for Long March rocket nozzles.
Laser selective melting (SLM) : Printing of complex components of C103 alloy (such as satellite thruster injectors) has been achieved. Low-cost hafnium (Hf) resources are scarce → Research on improved alloys (such as Nb-5Hf-5Zr) that partially replace hafnium (such as tantalum, zirconium).
