From Minus 269°C to Fusion Heat: China’s metal that bends but won’t break

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

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Impossible Alloy

Scientists in China say they’ve done what global experts swore couldn’t be done — forged steel that laughs in the face of nuclear fusion’s brutal extremes.

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Cryo Crusher

CHSN01 can shrug off minus 269°C liquid helium chills and survive magnetic forces twice as strong as France’s ITER.

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Magnet Monster

Fusion magnets push up to 20 Tesla — almost enough to rip steel apart. This new alloy doesn’t flinch.

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ITER’s Embarrassment

Back in 2011, ITER’s steel turned brittle and failed. China just built something that blows past those limits.

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Star Core

500 tonnes of CHSN01 now wrap the superconducting heart of China’s BEST reactor — the closest thing we’ve built to a mini sun.

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Billion-Pascal Beast

It holds 1,500 MPa yield strength while stretching over 25% at cryogenic temps — unheard of for fusion-grade steel.

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Ten-Year Gamble

What began as a decade-long materials grind turned into a game-changer when physicist Zhao Zhongxian joined in 2020.

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Power Play

Unlike ITER, BEST isn’t just for research — it’s gunning for commercial fusion power before anyone else.

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Tech Trump Card

Fully made in China, CHSN01 could end foreign steel dependence and muscle into fields from particle physics to deep-space missions.

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