2 ms·
I think it will make difference which alloy falls from space, because much more of the inconel will be left after the fall. After all, they use it in spacecraft
by MobiusHorizons 3y ago
I think it will make difference which alloy falls from space, because much more of the inconel will be left after the fall. After all, they use it in spacecraft because of how well it handles high temperatures like reentry.
- adrian_b 3y agoIt handles better high temperatures than steel in the sense that it retains its strength at high temperatures, but which are still much lower than its melting point. This does not imply that Inconel is more resistant at vaporisation than steel. It is possible and even probable that it is less resistant (Inconel X has less chromium than many stainless steels and pure nickel has higher vapor pressure than pure iron, so it evaporates more quickly, but the behavior of alloys may be different from their components). Therefore it is not certain that more of the inconel will be left after the fall, it is quite likely that less will be left than from stainless steels with high chromium content.
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoInteresting, I had assumed breakup happened because of structural failures related to aerodynamic pressure and weakened material properties as the material approaches melting. But of course vaporization would account for most of the “burning up” during reentry