The Application and Exploration of Tungsten-Molybdenum in Aerospace Technology Materials

Release time:

2025-01-17

Tungsten-molybdenum materials play an irreplaceable role in aerospace technology due to their unique properties. In the future, with the development of composite materials, lightweight design, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing techniques, tungsten-molybdenum materials will further expand their application range in the aerospace field, providing more reliable material support for high-performance spacecraft and advanced propulsion systems.

Tungsten-based materials
Tungsten, due to its extremely high melting point (3422°C) and excellent high-temperature strength, is widely used in key components in high-temperature environments, such as rocket nozzles, ablation-resistant materials, and ultra-high temperature thermal barriers.
Molybdenum-based materials
Molybdenum has excellent creep resistance and oxidation resistance, and is commonly used to manufacture combustion chamber liners, thermal shields, and components of thrusters. Molybdenum alloys with added rare earth elements can further enhance their high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance.

Radiation shielding
The high density of tungsten (19.3 g/cm³) and its good radiation shielding capability make it an important material for radiation protection in spacecraft. Tungsten alloys are often used to shield astronauts from space radiation.
Thermal protection systems
Molybdenum alloys, due to their excellent thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance, are commonly used in the thermal protection shields of missile warheads and the outer shells of vehicles re-entering the atmosphere.

Tungsten-molybdenum materials can be used in ion thrusters and electric thrusters for cathodes, anodes, and grid components, which require extremely high thermal stability and low sputtering rates.

Tungsten-molybdenum materials, due to their excellent electrical conductivity, are widely used in heat sinks and thermal substrates in aerospace electronic devices. At the same time, tungsten-molybdenum materials are also one of the core materials for nuclear power systems and high-performance solar energy systems.

Although tungsten and molybdenum have excellent properties, their high density makes it difficult to meet lightweight requirements. In recent years, research has shifted towards tungsten-molybdenum composite materials (such as tungsten-titanium alloys and molybdenum-zirconium composites), which retain their high-temperature resistance while significantly reducing weight.

The development of nanostructured tungsten-molybdenum materials is becoming a hotspot, showing significant improvements in strength, ductility, and ablation resistance. For example, nano tungsten-based alloys exhibit significantly better oxidation resistance in extreme environments compared to traditional materials.

To improve the stability of tungsten-molybdenum materials in high-temperature and strongly oxidizing environments, research has focused on high-temperature oxidation-resistant coating technologies. For instance, using SiC and ZrO₂ coatings can significantly enhance the service life of tungsten-molybdenum materials in environments above 2000°C.

3D printing technology provides possibilities for the manufacturing of complex structures with tungsten-molybdenum materials. By combining powder metallurgy with additive manufacturing, it is possible to efficiently produce complex, uniformly performing tungsten-molybdenum components.

With the green development of the aerospace industry, higher requirements have been placed on the recycling and reuse technologies of tungsten-molybdenum materials. At the same time, developing more economical alloy compositions and preparation processes has also become a research focus.