Researchers from Brown University have predicted a substance that has a melting point, which is above than any earlier studied material. The hypothetical substance is a mix of hafnium, nitrogen and carbon. As per the computer models, the material has a boiling point of 4,400 kelvins or 7,460 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers said that the calculated melting point is 200 kelvins, which is higher than the current record holder - tantalum hafnium carbide. Researchers are working to make the substance in the lab. It is expensive to create new materials especially those whose practical applications are not known.

Study’s co-author Axel van de Walle, an associate professor of engineering at Brown, was of the view, “The advantage of starting with the computational approach is we can try lots of different combinations very cheaply and find ones that might be worth experimenting with in the lab”.

Researchers affirmed that the mathematical model that was used to predict the substance is known as ‘electronic structure calculations’. The researchers have also used the law of quantum mechanics as a guide for the model.

Once the material is synthesized, it is not know what use the material will serve. As per researchers, the material could prove a protective barrier material inside gas turbines or airplanes. The researchers said the current study is a good example of how computer are getting faster and better in doing very complex calculations.