Manifest

National Center for High-Temperature Thermal Characterization

Extreme-temperature materials are becoming a strategic technology worldwide. Major global investments are accelerating the development of materials capable of operating above 1500–3000 °C, including Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) such as carbides, borides, nitrides, and oxides, as well as advanced metallic systems including high-entropy alloys (HEAs) and refractory multi-principal element alloys.

Despite Israel’s strong research ecosystem in materials science, aerospace engineering, and energy technologies, no national facility currently exists that provides comprehensive thermal characterization of materials at extreme temperatures. Most laboratories are limited to measurements below ~1400 °C, leaving a critical gap in the ability to experimentally validate materials intended for the most demanding environments.

The National Center for High-Temperature Materials Characterization aims to close this gap by establishing a unique national infrastructure dedicated to thermal measurements above 1500 °C, enabling reliable characterization of materials under extreme conditions.

The center will build upon the existing thermal analysis expertise at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, expanding current capabilities into a national research infrastructure that integrates:

· Advanced high-temperature thermal analysis

· Extreme-environment materials testing

· High-precision thermophysical measurements

· Data generation for simulation, digital twins, and AI-driven materials design

By producing accurate, high-quality thermophysical data, the center will create a national database for high-temperature materials, enabling reliable modeling of heat transfer, oxidation, phase stability, and materials performance.

The facility will support academic research, industrial innovation, and national strategic programs, particularly in sectors requiring materials capable of operating under extreme thermal loads, including:

· Advanced energy systems

· Aviation and propulsion technologies

· Aerospace and hypersonic systems

· Defense and space applications

Beyond instrumentation, the center will function as a national knowledge hub, advancing experimental methodologies, training researchers and engineers, and enabling collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

By combining state-of-the-art measurement capabilities with advanced modeling and data science, the center will accelerate the discovery, validation, and deployment of the next generation of high-temperature materials.