This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore development of a 2000-degree Centigrade (C) heating element. Current technology only supports 1850/1900-degree C heating elements. The main technical barriers preventing a 2000-degree C heating element are: (1) spallation of the silica protective layer at 1850/1900 degrees C, which exposes the bare molybdenum silicide (MoSi2) to catastrophic oxidation; and (2) extensive weakening by rapid grain growth. Phase I will address both problems by: (1) the use of alloying elements to form an oxidation resistant ternary phase molybdenum alumino-silicide, which leads to the formation of an adherent alumina layer stable up to 2080 degrees C; and (2) the addition of nano-scale alumina or zirconia to stabilize grain growth. A rapid-heat 2000-degree C heating element would be a quantum leap in heating element technology, making way for other advances in high temperature manufacturing. The technology may afford new advances in energy efficiency and manufacturing productivity in ceramics, metal processing, compound semiconductor processing, glass processing, and joining operations.
