Jaipur, Nov. 13 -- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have developed a lightweight, high-strength alloy that can withstand extreme oxidation at temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, potentially opening new possibilities for India's aerospace, defence and hypersonic technologies, according to an official release. The niobium-rich Refractory Complex Lean Alloy (RCLA), developed by a team led by Dr Saurabh Nene, associate professor in the department of materials engineering, has demonstrated significantly better oxidation resistance than conventional high-temperature alloys, including the widely used C-103 alloy. According to research findings published in the international journal Materials & Design, the new alloy recorded an oxidation-related mass gain of 43.48 mg per square centimetre after continuous exposure to 1,000 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. Under identical conditions, the conventional C-103 alloy recorded a mass gain of 258 mg per square centimetre, indicating substantially lower oxidation resistance. The alloy has a density of approximately 7.6 grams per cubic centimetre, considerably lower than the 9-10 grams per cubic centimetre density of conventional niobium-based alloys such as C-103. Its lower weight could make it suitable for aerospace and defence applications, where reducing the weight of structural components can improve fuel efficiency and payload capacity. It also demonstrated a room-temperature yield strength of 1.13 gigapascals and a compressive strain of around 29%, indicating a combination of high strength and improved formability. The research team used a Complex Lean Alloy design approach, which optimises material composition to achieve a balance of low density, mechanical strength and oxidation resistance without relying heavily on expensive refractory elements. The newly developed alloy eliminates hafnium, a costly constituent of conventional alloys such as C-103. Researchers have also estimated a cost advantage of approximately 11 times over the conventional alloy systems considered in the study. Dr Nene said the research sought to address the conventional trade-off between weight, mechanical formability and oxidation resistance in high-temperature alloys. The entire process, from alloy design and synthesis to processing and testing, was carried out indigenously at IIT Jodhpur without foreign collaboration. The research team included Dr Dharmendra Yadav and Dr Akshit Dutta, postdoctoral fellows, and Aditya Balpande, a PhD research scholar. The institute has also established in-house facilities to manufacture and process refractory alloys under controlled conditions. These have enabled the production of defect-free and compositionally homogeneous alloy samples weighing between 20 and 200 grams, potentially helping bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale manufacturing. The material could have applications in hypersonic and re-entry vehicles, rocket propulsion systems and advanced defence platforms, where components must withstand extreme temperatures and harsh operating conditions. However, the alloy remains at the research and development stage and will require further evaluation before it can be deployed in practical applications....