refractory metal

plural refractory metals

1. engineeringA metal, such as molybdenum or tungsten, with a high refraction, and hence a high melting point.

   1 more example

   Miracle is concentrating on a cluster of elements in the centre of the periodic table known as the refractory metals. These elements, including molybdenum and niobium, have unusually high melting points around 2500°C, compared with 1455°C for nickel, on which jet engine alloys are now based.[…]So far he has shown that high-entropy refractory metal alloys do indeed remain strong at temperatures beyond the wilting point of existing nickel superalloys.

   2016 October 15, James Mitchell Crow, “Forging Ahead”, in New Scientist, number 3095, page 37