Science: Jet turbine engines have benefited from decades of development of nickel-based superalloys, which have allowed a steady increase in engine operating temperatures and led to improved performance and efficiency.
However, operating temperatures are now reaching limits posed by the melting temperatures of these materials.
New materials, including alloys based on metals with higher melting points, such as molybdenum (Mo) and niobium (Nb) alloyed with silicon (Si), are now being seriously examined as alternatives by academic and industrial groups.
It occurred to me that perhaps super alloys such as "molybdenum (Mo) and niobium (Nb) alloyed with silicon (Si)" might be useful in SCRAM Jet technologies.
Perhaps these new alloys could better withstand the extreme operating temperatures including intake air friction based heating that would occur in the SCRAM Jet combustion chamber as the craft went high hypersonic.
Even the ability to operate turbojet powered fighter aircraft at higher maximum velocities that might be afforded by a new class of super alloys might come in handy for various Air Forces around the globe.