China's China State Shipbuilding Corporation has announced the completion of a unique experiment testing materials and equipment at a depth of nearly 10,000 meters in the ocean for 537 days. This is one of the longest tests conducted under such extreme conditions, setting a new world record for the use of underwater systems at ultra-deep distances. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .
Engineers noted that the tests were conducted in an extremely harsh environment for any material—under conditions of immense pressure, low temperatures, high salinity, and lack of oxygen. In such an aggressive corrosive environment, many standard construction materials fail quickly. However, researchers successfully applied a complex technology of energy-efficient power supply and corrosion protection, ensuring the stable operation of the equipment.
During the experiment, the devices recorded data autonomously and were then brought to the surface without any damage. All collected samples and data were fully recovered, which is of incomparable value for practical engineering. According to senior researcher Liao Zhiqian, such a data array is very rare in global practice due to the complexity and high cost of deep-sea missions.
The practical significance of these tests is primarily related to the prospects of extracting mineral resources from the ocean floor and developing underwater oil and gas infrastructure. Understanding the long-term resistance of materials to extreme exposure paves the way for creating sustainable ocean platforms that do not require maintenance in the future. This 537-day experiment serves to form a new engineering base for exploring the least studied areas of our planet.
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