Accidental discovery enables room-temperature recrystallization of molybdenum

AI Summary

Researchers at the University of Rochester and Technion–Israel Institute of Technology discovered a method to rearrange molybdenum's internal structure at room temperature. The finding could expand uses for the heat-resistant metal, including in next-generation semiconductors, reactors and turbine components.

Researchers at the University of Rochester and Technion–Israel Institute of Technology accidentally discovered a new way to rearrange the internal structure of molybdenum—an extremely heat-resistant metal—at room temperature. Molybdenum is typically used to reinforce nuclear reactors, jet engine turbine blades and rocket nozzles because it doesn't melt until it is heated to more than 2,600°C (4,712°F). Controlling its atomic structure at room temperature could open the door to more applications, including next-generation semiconductors.