The world of technology has advanced significantly over the past few decades, helping us explore vast spaces, deep waters, and build a future that goes beyond our imagination.
A critical element of this technological advancement across energy, medicine, construction, automobile, and aerospace is driven by innovations in materials science.
It is by understanding and manipulating materials at the atomic level that researchers, scientists, engineers, and companies have created improved materials with enhanced properties, such as strength, lightness, flexibility, and durability, leading to advances in various industries.
One of the most impactful innovations in materials science has been superalloys, which have revolutionized high-performance applications with their exceptional performance.
Superalloys Driving Innovation
In the early 20th century, superalloys were first developed with the aim of creating high-performance materials that could withstand extremely high temperatures. When it comes to the base of these metallic alloys, nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), or cobalt (Co) are the most widely used metals here due to their strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion. These metals are also known for their magnetic properties.
The process of alloying metals involves combining two or more metallic elements to enhance specific traits. Superalloys are also created this way. They are actually classified based on their primary element, which is strengthened with secondary elements such as aluminum (AI), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and chromium (Cr) to enhance their mechanical properties.
Continuous research and development have led to significant progress in superalloys, with innovations being made in composition, processing methods, and manufacturing technologies.
Superalloys are specifically designed for high-temperature applications. But they are exceptional at enduring extreme conditions, not just temperature, but also pressure and corrosion.
Even under those conditions, superalloys retain their strength and stability, which traditional alloys cannot. Besides maintaining high strength, superalloys are also resistant to oxidation and deformation at high temperatures, making them key materials in applications that require reliability and performance.
Thanks to their adaptability to extreme conditions, corrosion resistance, and unrivaled strength, superalloys are crucial for manufacturing, energy, automotive, and aerospace industries.
In the aerospace industry, the ability of superalloys to withstand extreme temperatures and mechanical stresses while maintaining structural integrity makes them particularly beneficial in turbine blades, combustion chambers, exhaust systems, thrust reversers, spacecraft components, and aircraft structural components such as engine mounts and landing gear.
In the field of power generation, superalloys are used in turbine components to achieve higher efficiencies, reduce downtime, lower costs, and increase energy production. Meanwhile, using superalloys in chemical processing equipment can minimize the risk of environmental hazards while ensuring reliable performance.
For the automotive industry, superalloys can enable the production of lightweight yet robust components that withstand high-speed operation and extreme thermal cycling.
So, using superalloys enables manufacturers, designers, and engineers to achieve optimal performance and durability in demanding environments. This has resulted in a rising demand for quality superalloys, but their major constraint, of course, remains high cost.
As such, researchers constantly explore new materials and techniques to develop better superalloys, further advancing industries.
Click here to learn how enhanced nanocrystalline alloy could revolutionize aerospace & auto.
Breakthroughs in High-Performance Alloys
As we shared last month, researchers from Tohoku University developed an innovative titanium-aluminum (Ti-Al) based superelastic alloy, which is lightweight yet strong, offering a unique capability to function across a broad temperature range, from +127°C to -269°C. This makes it ideal for future space missions, such as creating superelastic tires for lunar rovers.
If we look at other recent prominent studies, just earlier this month, researchers from the National Energy Technology Laboratory developed high-temperature oxidation-resistant1 Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Fe-based HEAs using machine learning (ML).
These particular high-entropy alloys have demonstrated remarkable oxidation resistance, making them promising candidates as bond coats to protect critical components in turbine power systems. Despite this, only a small fraction of Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Fe-based HEAs have been explored, so the team developed a design framework using machine learning and computations for their rapid exploration.
Recent advancements in machine learning (ML) have been revolutionizing HEA investigations, offering a more effective approach to materials design. However, this particular study introduced an efficient framework with a focus on phase-specific oxidation evaluations, which accelerated the discovery of HEAs that are oxidation-resistant at high temperatures within the Ni-Cr-Co-Al-Fe system.
It also reported four novel HEAs that outperform the standard MCrAlY alloy in oxidation resistance at 1150 °C. This way, it establishes the groundwork for finding HEAs that can meet the demands of the next-generation turbine systems. In the future, researchers anticipate further property optimizations, such as enhancing corrosion resistance.
A couple of weeks before that, researchers from several U.S. universities and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory presented a new copper-based material2 that can withstand temperatures as high as 800 degrees Celsius (1472 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than 10,000 hours.
Their material also outperformed existing copper (Cu) alloys, exhibiting a yield strength of 1120 megapascals at room temperature. This is even higher than carbon steel’s strength of 700 MPa. According to study co-author Kiran Solanki:
“Our alloy design approach mimics the strengthening mechanisms found in Ni-based superalloys.”
The new material was created by ordering copper-lithium precipitates surrounded by a tantalum-rich atomic bilayer and then further refined by adding a minuscule amount of lithium to change the precipitates’ morphology into “stable cuboidal structures,” which was exactly what gave the material its superior properties.
Uniquely combining copper’s excellent conductivity with nickel-based superalloys’ strength and durability provides “the military with the foundation to create new materials for hypersonics and high-performance turbine engines,” said study co-author Martin Harmer of Lehigh University.
Yet another study on enabling metallic materials to withstand extremely high heat resulted in engineers coming together to demonstrate3 that high-temperature lubricity can be achieved by tailoring surface oxidation in additively manufactured Inconel superalloy.
Unlike regular lubricants that can’t handle high temperatures, spinel oxide maintains lubrication at temperatures as high as 1,292°F or 700 °C.
Belonging to a group of semi-precious gemstones, spinels and spinel-structured oxides possess a unique ability to lubricate themselves when subjected to friction or heat stress, not only under certain conditions, but also when paired with a specific superalloy.
So, the researchers additively manufactured a sample of a Ni and Cr-based “superalloy”, which is called Inconel 718. It is lubricated by spinel at temperatures surpassing 600 °C.
Jonathan Madison, program director in the NSF Division of Materials Research, stated that this program highlights “the beautiful complexity that is materials science,” where a material’s structure, properties, and performance are “deeply dynamic and heavily contextual,” influenced by its history and environment. Such discoveries, he noted, have the “potential to revolutionize industry, advance technology, and ultimately change the world.”
Recent research has introduced the concept of a ‘hyperadaptor’ alloy that maintains its tensile properties over a temperature range of -196 degrees Celsius to 600 degrees Celsius.
Time for ‘Hyperadaptor’ Alloys
In the realm of alloys, high- and medium-entropy alloys (H/MEAs) offer a significant achievement in materials science and engineering due to their outstanding thermal stability and mechanical properties.
For clarity, medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) are composed of three or more but typically fewer than five principal elements in near-equal atomic ratios. High-entropy alloys (HEAs), meanwhile, are created by blending equal proportions of five or more elements.
Being composed of multiple principal elements, they differ from traditional alloy designs, which tend to rely on a predominant element. This increased configurational entropy leads to unique microstructures, enhanced phase stability, and excellent mechanical performance in various environments, including corrosion, irradiation, temperature fluctuations, and hydrogen embrittlement.
Taking advantage of this, a research team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has designed a Ni-based high-entropy alloy (HEA) that exhibits reduced temperature sensitivity in its tensile properties.
This Ni-based HEA is the first example of a ‘hyperadaptor,’ a concept introduced by researchers. What it means is materials engineered for minimal sensitivity to a wide range of environmental stimuli. This is in contrast to the practice of optimizing conventional materials for narrow temperature ranges.
In our day-to-day life, most metals we come across are sensitive to temperature changes. Take the doorknob, for example, it gets extremely hot in summer and icy cold in winter. This is because these metal materials are optimized for performance within a narrow temperature range, which limits their effectiveness in environments with dramatic temperature fluctuations.
Another example is Invar, a nickel-iron alloy, which is known for expanding and contracting very little with temperature changes, making it suitable for use in applications ranging from cryogenic to room temperatures. Superalloys, meanwhile, are for high-temperature environments.
To overcome this challenge, the POSTECH research team, led by Professor Hyoung Seop Kim from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, introduced Hyperadaptor and developed a nickel-based high-entropy alloy (HEA) that incorporates this idea.
Hyperadaptors demonstrate consistent performance across cryogenic, room, and elevated temperatures, making them ideal for applications where fluctuating environmental conditions require the use of multiple materials or supplementary components, such as cooling systems, multilayer structures, or coatings, to ensure thermal stability.
Automotive, aerospace, and energy are such high-demand industries, and researchers aim to have their hyperadaptor materials replace the need for various materials or additional components with a single solution.
“By maintaining performance and stability across a wide temperature range, this innovation could significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of such systems, offering an optimized approach for high-performance industries,” noted the study, which was published in the international journal Materials Research Letters and supported by Hyundai Motor Group and the Nano & Material Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).
The Ni-based HEA is the very first example of a hyperadaptor that showcases crucial insensitivity to temperature variations in its deformation behavior.
Just the minor addition of aluminum (Al) and Titanium (Ti) here further promotes the formation of nano-sized L12 precipitates. This type of precipitation forms in face-centered cubic (FCC)-based alloys, characterized by an ordered atomic arrangement. The presence of nanoscale L12 precipitates hinders deformation, while the alloy’s internal structure manages stress through consistent slip behavior, regardless of the temperature.
The high Ni content in the alloy means it has a high stacking fault energy (SFE), which, combined with nano-precipitate strengthening, ensures that the Ni-based high-entropy alloy maintains consistent deformation behavior.
Furthermore, the new alloy has been shown to maintain both its strength and ductility from cryogenic conditions to extremely high temperatures. Minimal sensitivity to temperature variations from 77 K (-196°C) to 873 K (600°C) makes it an excellent candidate for applications requiring stability across a wide range of thermal conditions.
According to the study, Ni-based HEAs are a Hyperadaptor that can meet the dynamic requirements of modern industrial applications. Moreover, they have the potential to function reliably in varied environmental conditions, making them ideal candidates for advanced engineering applications that require both consistency and durability.
This means applications involving sudden or extreme temperature changes, like pipelines, rocket or jet engines, power plant turbines, and automotive exhaust systems.
The ability of the new alloy to maintain its performance under harsh conditions has the potential to boost efficiency and safety in these demanding environments significantly.
“Our HEA breaks through the limitations of existing alloys and establishes a new class of temperature-insensitive materials. The Hyperadaptor concept represents a breakthrough in developing next-generation materials with consistent mechanical behavior even under extreme conditions.”
– Professor Kim
Innovative Company
ATI Inc. (ATI +2.96%)
ATI is a global manufacturer of high-performance materials for the aerospace and defense markets, as well as for critical applications in medical, electronics, and specialty energy.
It primarily operates through two segments: High Performance Materials & Components (HPMC), which produces materials and components from titanium and nickel-based alloys and superalloys, and Advanced Alloys & Solutions (AA&S), which manufactures specialty alloys in various forms, including strip, sheet, and plate products.
With its materials, ATI enables its customers’ products to fly higher and faster, stand stronger, burn hotter, dive deeper, and last longer.
ATI has a market capitalization of $6.25 billion, with its shares trading at $44.32, down 19.5% year-to-date. It has an EPS (TTM) of 2.55, a P/E (TTM) of 17.35, and an ROE (TTM) of 22.82%.
For the entire last year, ATI reported sales of $4.4 billion, the highest in twelve years, representing a 5% increase from the previous year.
Adjusted EBITDA for the full year came in at $729 million, up 15% from 2023. This, President and CEO Kimberly A. Fields noted, reflects “robust demand that we expect will continue in 2025.” The company’s free cash flow during this period was $248 million, a 50% increase from 2023.
In 2024, ATI generated over $65 million in cash proceeds from the sale of non-core assets, which the company plans to redeploy as part of its reliability and debottlenecking strategy. Last year’s capital expenditures were $239 million, aimed at growing capacity and capabilities.
ATI ended 2024 with $721 million in cash, of which $260 million was used to repurchase its shares. “We believe ATI is very well positioned for continued strong performance that will drive growth and value in 2025 and beyond,” said Fields, who also noted that they are committed to “deploying capital to capture growth opportunities and return capital to our shareholders.”
Net income and earnings per share, meanwhile, declined compared to 2023 due to the reversal of the Company’s valuation allowance. The year also included benefits of $22.7 million from the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit.
At the end of 2024, the company had approximately $525 million in additional liquidity under its asset-based lending (ABL) credit facility and no outstanding borrowings. The next meaningful debt maturity of $150 million of debentures also doesn’t come until the last quarter of this year.
After such a “strong finish” to 2024, ATI is now focused on “staying agile, prepared as the aerospace and defense supply chain normalizes and geopolitical uncertainties evolve, including changes in global trade policies,” said Fields, adding, “With very strong demand in our end markets, we believe we are positioned to deliver growth and margin expansion in 2025 and beyond.”
Recently, ATI commissioned its new 12,250 m² Additive Manufacturing Products facility, which will cover design, manufacturing, machining, heat treating, and inspection capabilities. At this facility, the company will produce high-quality goods at scale. It has also received its first contract from BPMI to produce highly engineered parts in support of the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
“Layer by layer, Additive Manufacturing gives us the ability to produce high-performance, highly complex components for our customers – faster, with less waste.”
– Fields
Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter of 2024, ATI joined the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) to develop next-generation materials and process technologies for sustainable air travel. Another development during this time was the sale of ATI’s precision rolled strip operations to Ulbrich, which allowed the company to streamline its operations and sharpen its focus on strategic aerospace and defense markets.
Conclusion
For several decades now, superalloys have been transforming the way we design for durability and performance. And now, the new concept of ‘Hyperadaptor’ alloys aims to offer a unified solution to one of engineering’s biggest material challenges by bridging the gap between extreme cold and intense heat.
This new breakthrough showcases great promise with their ability to maintain exceptional strength and ductility across extreme temperature ranges. With that, this innovation has the potential to redefine the future of materials science and push the boundaries of superalloys, enhancing efficiency and boosting safety across the aerospace, energy, and automotive industries.
Click here to learn all about investing in Rhenium, the high-performance aerospace metal.
Studies Referenced:
1. Tan, X., Trehern, W., Sundar, A., Bahl, S., Jiang, D., Beese, A. M., Xiong, W., & Liu, Z.-K. (2025). Machine learning and high-throughput computational guided development of high temperature oxidation-resisting Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Fe based high-entropy alloys. npj Computational Materials, 11(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-025-01568-8
2. Hornbuckle, B. C., Smeltzer, J. A., Sharma, S., Nagar, S., Marvel, C. J., Cantwell, P. R., Harmer, M. P., Solanki, K., & Darling, K. A. (2025). A high-temperature nanostructured Cu-Ta-Li alloy with complexion-stabilized precipitates. Science, 387(6741), 1413–1417. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr0299
3. Zhang, Z., Hershkovitz, E., An, Q., Wang, Q., Xiao, P., Zhou, Y., Zhou, Y., Liu, M., Zhang, W., & Zhou, L. (2024). Spinel oxide enables high-temperature self-lubrication in superalloys. Nature Communications, 15, 10039. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54482-w
4. Park, H., Son, S., Ahn, S. Y., Ha, H., Kim, R. E., Lee, J. H., & Kim, H. S. (2025). Hyperadaptor; Temperature-insensitive tensile properties of Ni-based high-entropy alloy over a wide temperature range. Materials Research Letters, 13(4), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/21663831.2025.2457346