Conductor that has the highest melting point

[ZeroFunGame]

TL;DR Summary

Hoping for feedback regarding engineered/man-made conductors that has high melting points (>4000C).

Hoping for feedback regarding engineered conductors that has high melting points (>4000C). Does anyone perhaps know of such metallic alloys or conductive material? (please, no 2D/1D materials -- exotic materials/alloys are OK, just has to be able to be made in bulk!) Thank you!

 

[DaveE]

Conductors usually have other requirements too; like resistivity, chemical stability (primarily oxidation), ductility, TCE, etc.
However, since you only asked about temperature, I'll vote for Tungsten, used for the filament in incandescent lights.

 

[ZeroFunGame]

Tungsten is a high one! But its melting point is <4000C, which was why I engineered the post to inquire about alloys or exotic materials that perhaps only folks may know of in their respective fields. Appreciate the feedback DaveE!

 

[Vanadium 50]

I am unaware of no metal alloy that has actually been synthesized with a melting point that high.

 

[ZeroFunGame]

I am unaware of no metal alloy that has actually been synthesized with a melting point that high.

Does this mean tungsten would be the conductor (natural or engineered) that has the highest melting point?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Obviously, I had a misplaced double negative.

I don't know if there is some alloy of tungsten that has a higher melting point, nor if it is still metallic.

 

[ZeroFunGame]

That's what I assumed. There are certainly ceramics with high melting points that meets the 4k C criteria, but unfortunately, nothing on conductors. Not even the good ol' CNTs...

 

[Tom.G]

Graphite sublimation temperature is, depending on the reference, ≅3870 to 4020°C.
Try a Google search for: sublimation temperature of graphite

Here's one that may not match your (unstated) application or constraints: Diamond is good up tp 4440°C but I don't recall if it is electrically conductive.

The highest temperature refractory material I found was at:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/176628/new-record-worlds-most-heat-resistant/...the mixed compound (Ta0.8Hf0.20C) was consistent with previous research, melting at 3905°C...

(above found with :
https://www.google.com/search?&q=4000+degree+electrical+conductor)

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Baluncore]

When it comes to metals and their alloys, if you look at an alloy phase diagram you will see that the highest temperature is one of the elements, with the lowest temperature being the eutectic alloy.

That suggests it is most unlikely there will be a higher melting point alloy than one of its pure metal elements.

One problem with thermocouples is the bond between the two different metal elemental wires, since that junction is an alloy that melts and fails before either of the wires.

 

[Baluncore]

Diamond is good up tp 4440°C but I don't recall if it is electrically conductive.

It will burn instantly in the presence of oxygen above about 400°C.

 

[phyzguy]

How good a conductor does it need to be? According to this site, hafnium carbide has a melting point of 3890C, and an electrical conductivity of 109 μΩ-cm. This would make it comparable to nichrome wire in terms of conductivity. Is that good enough? According to this Wikipedia site, tantalum hafnium carbide has the highest known melting point of 3990C, so there are no materials, conductive or not, with melting points >4000C.