Posted on Jun 3, 2005

Robert Fleischer, research professor of geology, is author of a paper, “The Distribution of Boron in AlRu: Effect on Ductility and Toughness,” in the May issue of the journal Acta Materialia. Intermetallic compounds such as aluminum-ruthenium (AlRu) that melt at unusually high temperatures offer the prospect of high strength at high temperature, where jet engines are most efficient. Boron additions in alloys have played an important role in making other jet alloys strong also near room temperature, where most intermetallics are brittle. The paper reports the use of a nuclear technique for mapping the location of the boron atoms that improve AlRu using a reaction that is caused by neutrons.