For crystalline materials with high melting points, crystallization methods that do not use crucibles are generally employed. However, such conventional methods have issues, such as the time-consuming preparation required before crystallization can begin.
Associate Prof. Shunsuke Kurosawa, Yutaro Kurashima (Master’s 2nd year), Prof. Akira Yoshikawa, Associate Prof. Kei Kamata, Research Assistant Shiori Ishikawa, and their group, together with Principal Researcher Rikito Murakami and COO Ikuhiro Shouji (C&A Co., Ltd.), have successfully developed a new crystal growth method called the core heating method.
This method enables the synthesis of more than 10 crystals per day for materials with ultra-high melting points exceeding 2300°C, which previously posed significant hurdles for single-crystal growth.
This is expected to advance the development of numerous materials, including those for space exploration, insulation materials for high-temperature environments such as high-temperature reactors, and materials for waste heat utilization.
The results were published in Crystal Growth & Design on December 28, 2020.
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