🔬 1. Revolutionary Manufacturing Breakthrough: Caltech’s HIAM Boosts Copper-Nickel Alloy Strength by 400%
On August 3, a team led by Prof. Julia R. Greer at Caltech unveiled the Hydrogel Infusion-based Additive Manufacturing (HIAM) technique, enabling atomic-level precision in designing copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) alloys. Key advances include13:
Process Innovation: 3D-printed hydrogel scaffolds are infused with metal salts, followed by calcination and hydrogen reduction annealing to form dense alloys.
Performance Leap: The Cu12Ni88 alloy demonstrated fourfold higher strength than conventional Cu59Ni41 alloys, attributed to oxide inclusions that create metal-interface reinforcement.
Applications: Customizable biomedical implants (enhanced biocompatibility) and aerospace components. The method was hailed as “bringing metallurgy into the 21st century.”
📈 2. Industrial Milestone: GEM’s Indonesia Project Hits Record Nickel Output
In July 2025, Green Eco-Manufacture (GEM) achieved historic production at its Indonesia nickel facility6:
Monthly Output: Nickel 11,224 tons + Cobalt 916 tons.
Daily Peak: Nickel exceeded 400 tons/day, cobalt reached 32 tons/day.
Strategic Impact: Strengthens China’s dominance in the global nickel supply chain, supporting EV battery material demand.
⚙️ 3. High-Performance Alloy Innovations: Patents Drive Advancements
Recent patents highlight progress in nickel alloy design and processing258:
High-Strength Nickel-Iron Alloy (Guangxi Yihui):
Added Cr/Ti/Co and 9+ elements to enhance strength, solving traditional low-strength limitations2.Nickel-Based Superalloy (AECC Institute):
Triplex melting + bimodal grain refinement overcame “intermediate-temperature brittleness,” achieving >1,400 MPa tensile strength at 750°C8.High-Tungsten Nickel Alloy Casting (Liaoning Hongyin):
New porosity control method for aerospace-grade components5.
🏭 4. Green Steel Expansion: Hang Steel’s 2.5M-Ton Nickel-Chromium Project Nears Launch
Hang Steel Group’s high-end nickel-chromium materials project entered its final pre-operational phase4:
Scale: Annual capacity of 2.51 million tons, targeting LNG ship alloys, nuclear power steels, and super-austenitic stainless steels.
Goals: Replace 20% of imports and achieve 50% high-end product output.
Sustainability: World’s thinnest hot-rolled strips (≤2mm) with industry-leading emissions standards.
💹 5. Market Dynamics: Nickel Prices Rally Amid Supply-Demand Shifts
Price Surge: LME nickel prices broke $15,000/ton on August 5, driven by Indonesian export policy rumors and EV demand79.
Inventory Rise: LME nickel stocks increased by 2,172 tons (August 5), reflecting market volatility9.
✨ Conclusion
The nickel alloy sector is witnessing dual breakthroughs in technology (HIAM’s atomic-scale control) and industry (GEM’s record output). With patents accelerating performance optimization and Hang Steel’s green manufacturing push, nickel-based materials are poised to redefine aerospace, energy, and sustainable manufacturing.
