Foundation Alloy launches MC1200 strongest molybdenum alloy
Foundation Alloy, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has launched Molyclast MC1200, reported to be the strongest commercially available molybdenum alloy. At up to three times stronger than the current market leader, MC1200’s fully recrystallised microstructure is said to deliver predictable strength from 25ºC to over 1,500ºC, avoiding the embrittlement and precipitous property loss common in refractory alloys.
According to Foundation Alloy, the combination of strength and manufacturability is intended to enable new engineering capabilities for a range of customers, including those in semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace and defence, and medical imaging.
The MC1200 molybdenum alloy reportedly achieves its superior properties in the as-sintered state, meaning components can be produced as near-net shapes. This enables geometric freedom in part design and allows uniform performance in all dimensions whilst eliminating more than 60% of processing time and scrap in refractory component manufacturing.
“With MC1200, Foundation Alloy takes a leap towards the ideal for refractory metals, unlocking persistent ductility in an alloy of very high strength,” stated Dr Christopher Schuh, Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern, former Head of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, and co-founder of Foundation Alloy. “This is the result of advancements in both formulation and processing together, the only way to realise the full promise of metals. MC1200 will not only redefine the current uses of refractory alloys, but also open new markets for them by eliminating multiple of their greatest limiting drawbacks.”
MC1200 is processed using Foundation Alloy’s proprietary MetalsFIRST metallurgy platform, which eliminates melting and is said to enable precise control over alloy chemistry and microstructure. According to the company, this process produces a fully recrystallised part with grain sizes approximately 100× smaller than conventional molybdenum alloy components.
“MC1200 is the first in a new category of ultra-high performance metals that are simple to manufacture and scale,” explained Jake Guglin, CEO. “With MetalsFIRST, we are breaking conventional alloy limits and putting new materials in the field in months, instead of years. Our customers are already benefiting from both the new capabilities and speed, and with the release of MC1200, we are proving yet again that we can push performance farther and faster than any other materials company in the world.”
Foundation Alloy has begun manufacturing customer parts and validating performance through in-field testing.
