Recently, some media outlets have reported that the United States dismissed reports that China's J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 carrier-based aircraft successfully conducted catapult takeoff and landing training on the Fujian aircraft carrier (CVN 22), claiming the technology already existed in the US. However, US military experts examining the video revealed that many crew members on the carrier were wearing winter gear, raising concerns. This indicates that the Fujian aircraft carrier's electromagnetic catapult and recovery capabilities are not new.
As core equipment for future naval combat platforms, future aircraft carriers will have multi-dimensional and high-standard material performance requirements.
Amorphous alloys , combining lightweight, high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and superior electromagnetic properties, have become a key advanced material driving technological innovation in the shipbuilding industry. Their applications span core areas such as ship structure, protection, intelligence, and stealth.
1. Solid-State Transformers, Intelligence, and Multifunctional Integration
The core technology of magnetic catapults lies in the construction of the power system. For modern large ships (especially those using DC power distribution architectures) that strive for high efficiency, high power density, high reliability, and high flexibility, solid-state transformers are no longer a question of necessity; they are now a key technology for achieving advanced power system architectures. They address the fundamental issue of traditional transformers' incompatibility with the DC world and provide large ship power systems with unprecedented controllability and integration. As the technology matures and costs decrease, solid-state transformers will become the "standard heart" of large electric ships. This demonstrates that Chinese scientists are world leaders in this field. On October 24th, the inaugural Solid-State Transformer Industry Development Technology Seminar (Autumn) held in Shenzhen will feature Academician Wang Weihua, Director of the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, and technical leaders from companies such as Weiguang Energy, Xi'an Power Electronics, and Yunlu Co., Ltd. to discuss and exchange their research findings.
Amorphous alloys also play a crucial role in the advancement of ship intelligence. Amorphous wire sensors based on the giant magnetoimpedance effect can accurately monitor the stress and vibration status of a ship's hull, forming the "intelligent nerve" of a ship. Furthermore, marine amorphous transformers and various amorphous inductors are widely used due to their low energy consumption, high performance, corrosion resistance, and excellent temperature stability. According to the Amorphous China Big Data Center, a single ship with a displacement of 10,000 tons uses nearly 2,000 kg of various amorphous alloy materials.
2. Extreme Environment Resistance
Using thermal spraying, electroplating/electroless plating, and other technologies, amorphous alloy coatings can be applied to hull steel, decks, propellers, and other surfaces. These coatings effectively resist chloride ion corrosion from seawater and the marine atmosphere, far exceeding the performance of stainless steel and galvanized coatings.
The material's high hardness imparts excellent wear and cavitation resistance to the coating, making it particularly suitable for protecting sensitive components such as propellers, pumps, valves, and pipes. Application to ships can extend the service life of ship structures and service facilities, reduce maintenance frequency and costs, and improve uptime and safety.
3. Rapid Manufacturing and Repair Capabilities
Advanced manufacturing processes such as cold spraying and 3D printing have overcome the dimensional limitations of traditional amorphous alloy forming. Cold spraying can produce high-performance, thick coatings and components suitable for on-site repairs, while 3D printing can directly create complex geometric components that are impossible with traditional methods, opening up new avenues for achieving highly customized ship components and integrating structural functions.
4. Innovative Structural Connections
Leveraging the superplastic forming ability of amorphous alloys in the supercooled liquid phase, complex structures can be fabricated through hot pressing and blow molding, similar to plastics. For example, projects such as the US DARPA have successfully fabricated high-strength rivets from zirconium-based amorphous alloys. Their shear strength far exceeds that of traditional aluminum/titanium alloy rivets, enabling high-strength connections between lightweight materials. This provides a solution for joining lightweight ship structures (such as superstructures and composite hulls), avoiding the problems of weld heat-affected zones and the insufficient strength of traditional rivets.
5. Lightweight and High Strength
Amorphous alloy wires are used as reinforcements, combined with matrices such as carbon fiber and epoxy resin to create new composite materials. Amorphous filaments can further enhance the overall mechanical properties of composite materials, allowing them to withstand greater loads. They can also effectively prevent and deflect crack propagation within materials like carbon fiber, improving the material's damage tolerance and toughness. Their use in the manufacture of structural components such as hulls, decks, and bulkheads can significantly reduce ship weight, increase speed, increase payload, or extend cruising range.
6. High-Performance Sealing Materials
Amorphous materials exhibit high elasticity and resilience, returning to their original shape after a certain deformation. Their low coefficient of expansion ensures sustained sealing pressure. Furthermore, their corrosion and wear resistance enable them to withstand the corrosive and abrasive wear of sealing media (such as fuel, lubricants, and seawater). They are used in the manufacture of seals in critical components such as ship engines, pumps, and valves. They provide more reliable and longer-lasting sealing solutions, preventing leaks, ensuring stable operation of powertrains and auxiliary systems, and reducing maintenance requirements.
7. Acoustic Stealth: Noise Reduction Materials
The atomically disordered structure of amorphous alloys effectively converts and dissipates the energy of mechanical vibrations (sound waves) into heat, resulting in damping performance several orders of magnitude higher than that of traditional metals. Used in the manufacture of gears, bearing housings, bulkheads, and other materials, amorphous alloys reduce structure-borne and radiated noise generated by main engines, auxiliary engines, and propellers. For military vessels, effectively reducing their own noise is a key technology for achieving acoustic stealth and evading enemy sonar detection. Furthermore, amorphous alloy foams offer impressive noise reduction, effectively reducing propeller startup noise and other noise, making them an excellent material for ship stealth and muffler applications.
The application of amorphous alloys in ships is evolving from simple coating protection to comprehensive structural load-bearing, functional integration, and intelligent sensing. They are not only a key material for lightweighting, longevity, and low-maintenance ships, but also a core technology for enhancing the quietness, stealth, and intelligence of ships, particularly military vessels. With the maturity of advanced manufacturing technologies such as cold spraying and 3D printing, amorphous alloys are poised to expand their application prospects in the marine sector, driving innovation in ship design and manufacturing.