31/07/2026 09:57 - Tecnologia
On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima not only changed the course of human history but, unintentionally, forged materials never before seen on Earth. According to a study published on July 30, 2026 in the journal Science Advances, an international team of researchers from the University of Florence, led by geologist and crystallographer Luca Bindi, identified a completely new multi-component metal alloy.
This discovery is a message of hope and learning: even from the most tragic events of our past, science can extract knowledge that benefits technological development and our understanding of matter in the future.
To understand the finding, we first need to define hiroshimaite. These are tiny glassy spheres (about tens of microns in size) that formed when the nuclear explosion vaporized buildings, metal, soil, glass, and water from the Japanese city at over 7,000 °C. These materials mixed in a fireball and, upon ultra-rapid cooling, fell as solidified droplets onto the sands of Hiroshima Bay.
Bindi's team analyzed 34 samples of these hiroshimaite particles using high-resolution electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Inside one of these microspheres, they found a particle just a few microns across with a composition and crystalline structure unknown until now.
An alloy is a mixture of two or more metallic elements to create a material with improved properties (like steel, which mixes iron and carbon). What makes this new alloy unique is its unusually high silicon content and its atomic order.
Its exact composition is:
| Element | Percentage in Alloy |
|---|---|
| Iron | 62.7% |
| Chromium | 14.7% |
| Nickel | 9.0% |
| Silicon | 7.0% |
| Molybdenum | 3.7% |
| Manganese | 2.1% |
| Aluminum | 0.6% |
Crystallographic analysis revealed it crystallizes in the P213 space group, with an AlAu4 structure, derived from the 'beta-Mn' structure. This configuration is much more complex than the usual forms of conventional steel and has never been found in nuclear materials, natural processes, or industrial ones.
Although the specific composition found will not be industrially replicated by itself, its AlAu4-type structure will serve as a template for designing new advanced materials. Multi-component alloys often excel in high wear resistance, thermal stability, and corrosion protection, making them ideal for aerospace, industrial, and energy applications.
The finding consolidates the mineralogy of nuclear debris as a crucial tool. Each hiroshimaite acts as a 'micro-reactor' or time capsule that froze the extreme physics of the explosion. Analyzing these fragments allows scientists to reconstruct the exact thermodynamic conditions of each detonation, helping nuclear forensics better understand past nuclear events.
This discovery joins the precedent of trinitite, the radioactive glass formed during the Trinity test (the first U.S. atomic detonation in 1945), demonstrating that extreme and rapidly changing environments can explore unusual regions of chemical space.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
