Reeglitel

Reeglitel is a fictional inorganic ceramic material developed for high-temperature engineering. It is not found in nature and was first described in the literature in 2019 by researchers at the European Institute of Materials Research. The name refers to its layered oxide framework and thermal stability.

Composition and structure: Reeglitel comprises a layered oxide lattice with transition-metal cations coordinated by oxygen and interlinked by silicon-oxygen–rich layers. The material is studied as a family with varying dopants to tune hardness, thermal expansion, and phase stability. It forms dense, anisotropic ceramics with strong bonding and limited grain-boundary diffusion.

Synthesis and processing: It is produced by high-temperature solid-state reactions of oxide precursors followed by densification via hot pressing or spark plasma sintering. Post-synthesis treatments and dopant choice optimize microstructure and performance.

Properties: Reeglitel exhibits high hardness (Mohs ~9), excellent thermal stability (melting points above 1800°C in practice), and good wear resistance. It typically shows a high refractive index when doped and a low coefficient of thermal expansion for a ceramic.

Applications and status: Potential uses include protective coatings for cutting tools, turbine components, and diffusion barriers in electronics, as well as specialized optical elements. As of the early 2020s, reeglitel is primarily an area of active research with several academic and industrial collaborations.

Safety: Powders can irritate the respiratory tract; standard inorganic-ceramics safety procedures and PPE are advised. Waste and by-products follow established guidelines.

See also: ceramic materials, transition-metal oxides, silicon-oxygen ceramics.