Metalysis produces high-entropy metastable powder metals via solid state process
December 5, 2016
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Metalysis Ltd., England, has produced niobium-containing high entropy alloy (HEA) powders for high-temperature applications by means of its patented solid-state electrolysis process. HEAs are metastable materials in which five or more metals from the periodic table are combined. Niobium-containing HEAs, being refractory, are particularly suitable for high-temperature applications. These include future applications within the aerospace and gas turbine markets.
The Metalysis process is theoretically capable of producing the niobium-containing HEA, among others, at industrial scale. It is the latest achievement to utilize Metalysis' patented, scalable, solid state technology to produce new, high-demand metal powder products.
The company has raised substantial funds to increase productivity and carry out its Generation 4 ("Gen 4") expansion. Because it is modular, Gen 4 has the potential to be scaled up to provide hundreds of tons per annum of valuable specialty metal alloy powders. Efforts are ongoing to develop commercial applications across a range of producible HEAs and metal powders, as the Gen 4 project heads toward commissioning. These should prove the next step in the Metalysis roadmap for scalability of technology.
Metalysis Ltd. is committed to transforming the metals industry through the commercial exploitation of its patented process for producing titanium, tantalum, other metals, and innovative alloy powders.
www.metalysis.com
Metalysis Ltd., England, has produced niobium-containing high-entropy alloy powders for high-temperature applications by means of its patented solid-state electrolysis process.
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Computationally Optimized Heat Treatment Process wins R&D 100 Award
November 18, 2016
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The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, announces that its Computationally Optimized Homogenization Heat Treatment Process has been named a winner of the 2016 R&D 100 Awards. NETL's technology provides an easy method to optimize heat treatment to achieve the required degree of homogenization with a minimum of furnace time.
Conventional processes for homogenizing metal alloys are trial-and-error in their approach, resulting in increased process cost and limits to the possible paths that may be explored. The primary application for this technology is for alloys that are exposed to extreme environments, including heat-resistant alloys or those needing corrosion/oxidation resistance. A properly homogenized alloy will not only function better, but also will have an extended life cycle.
During solidification of any alloy, the elements segregate unevenly. This chemical segregation is unavoidable and results in non-uniform regions that negatively impact mechanical and physical properties. Even distribution of the alloying elements is necessary to achieve optimal performance for the specified application.
The computational approach to homogenization is based on kinetics of the chemical diffusion coefficient of each element to determine the homogenization cycle necessary to evenly distribute the elements that are susceptible to segregation. Conventional homogenization processes rely on a trial-and-error approach that results in the need for more experimentation and analysis. If the selected times and temperatures do not achieve the correct degree of homogenization, additional experimentation become necessary.
The Computationally Optimized Homogenization Heat Treatment Process is designed especially for alloys exposed to extreme environments, including heat-resistant alloys and those that require corrosion/oxidation resistance. Such alloys are typically in industries that service the aerospace, military, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear, structural, automotive. and instrumentation sectors.
www.netl.doe.gov
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, announces that its Computationally Optimized Homogenization Heat Treatment Process has been named a winner of a 2016 R&D 100 Award.
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Ampco Pittsburgh acquires ASW Steel for its specialty steel products
November 8, 2016
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Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp., Carnegie, Pa., has acquired ASW Steel Inc., Welland, Ontario, a specialty steel producer with customers in the oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, transportation, and construction industries. ASW offers a unique combination of carbon, stainless, and other specialty steelmaking capabilities, as well as flexible steel refining methods such as argon oxygen decarburization, vacuum oxygen decarburization, vacuum degassing, and a ladle metallurgical station.
According to John Stanik, Ampco-Pittsburgh's Chief Executive Officer, "This acquisition is a very important element in Ampco-Pittsburgh's strategic diversification plan. ASW's proven broad expertise in flexible steel refining methods will provide us with the capabilities to manufacture the additional chemistries needed to expand our reach in the open-die forging market. The transaction also enhances our ability to grow in markets in which we currently participate and to add new markets."
"Our combined capabilities will offer forgers, ring rollers, and rolling mills, a high-quality supplier with the broadest range of specialized steel products in the marketplace," says Tim Clutterbuck, President of ASW Steel, Inc.
The total purchase price was approximately $13.1 million, including $3.5 million in cash and assumption of approximately $9.6 million of outstanding indebtedness.
ASW, whose annual revenues are approximately $48 million, will be an indirect subsidiary of Union Electric Steel Corporation, a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Ampco-Pittsburgh. Union Electric Steel is a leading producer of forged and cast engineered products for the global steel and aluminum industries.
www.ampcopgh.com
Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp., Carnegie, Pa., has acquired ASW Steel Inc., Welland, Ontario, a specialty steel producer with customers in the oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, transportation, and construction industries.
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Bodycote relocates to new Haltom City heat treatment facility
September 22, 2016
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Bodycote, England, announces its plan to open a new Texas heat treatment facility near Dallas/Fort Worth, in Haltom City. The existing Fort Worth business, on Montgomery Street, will be relocated due to redevelopment of the area. A groundbreaking ceremony took place at the new location on August 26, attended by Mayor David Averitt and other Haltom City Council members.
Bodycote is in a strong position to continue supporting its supply chain partners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with ample capacity and a diverse set of capabilities to meet their specific needs. The new facility will hold international quality standards including Nadcap, AS9100, and ISO9001, as well as OEM approvals.
Bodycote has long served the aerospace, oil & gas, and general industrial supply chains in the Dallas / Fort Worth marketplace. The Fort Worth facility will continue to operate from its Montgomery Street location until further notice. In addition, Bodycote is expanding service offerings at its facility in Arlington, Texas. The company looks forward to continuing its investment in this market to ensure that customers experience local service with superior quality and turnaround time.
www.bodycote.com
Bodycote, England, announces its plan to open a new Texas heat treatment facility near Dallas/Fort Worth, in Haltom City.
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Ipsen delivers heat-treating solutions across the United States
July 6, 2016
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., has shipped 11 heat-treating systems to eight different states from California to Massachusetts over the past quarter, for processing parts for companies in the aerospace, energy, commercial heat treating, and coating industries.
Among the equipment was a Titan H6 vacuum furnace, which was rented to fill a company's immediate need for increased capacity. Two other Titan systems were shipped with Ipsen's PdMetrics software platform, which provides advanced predictive maintenance and connects customers to critical information they need to optimize operations and minimize unplanned downtime.
These recent equipment shipments also included a horizontal MetalMaster vacuum furnace with a 72x 156x92-inch radiation-shielded hot zone. This custom vacuum furnace system delivers cleanliness and uniform cooling for efficient, high-quality results.
Other furnaces shipped included VFS HEQ (external quench) and HIQ (internal quench) furnaces, as well as Titan LT (low temperature) furnaces and H2-, H6-, and H8-size furnaces from Ipsen's Titan line.
In addition to multiple vacuum furnaces, Ipsen also shipped a complete atmosphere heat-treating system designed to provide increased flexibility and help streamline production. This system included an Atlas integral quench batch furnace and its ancillary equipment: temper, washer, loader, endo generator, and load table.
Regardless of the industry, requirements, or location, the global Ipsen Customer Service Team facilitates system installations and provides expert training, startup assistance, and 360-degree support throughout the entire lifespan of the equipment.
www.IpsenUSA.com/Products
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., has shipped 11 heat-treating systems to eight different states from California to Massachusetts over the past quarter, for processing parts for companies in the aerospace, energy, commercial heat treating, and coating industries.
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New GE Aviation facilities to produce SiC fibers and ceramic matrix composites
June 22, 2016
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GE Aviation, Cincinnati, has broken ground for two materials factories near Huntsville: One facility will produce SiC ceramic fiber, while the other will use SiC ceramic fiber to make tape for ceramic matrix composite components in jet engines and land-based gas turbines. GE Aviation's total north Alabama investment will be nearly $200 million. When the plants open, the company will sell fiber to the Department of Defense, GE businesses, Herakles (Safran), and other customers subject to U.S. regulations.
The use of lightweight, heat-resistant CMCs in the hot section of GE jet engines is a breakthrough for the jet propulsion industry. With one-third the density of metal alloys, these ultra-lightweight CMCs reduce the overall engine weight. Further, their high-temperature properties greatly enhance engine performance, durability, and fuel economy. CMCs are far more heat-resistant than metal alloys, hence requiring less cooling air in the engine's hot section. By using this air instead in the engine flow path, an engine runs more efficiently.
For more than 20 years, scientists at GE's Global Research Centers and GE's industrial businesses have worked to develop CMCs for commercial applications. The best-selling LEAP engine, being developed by CFM International, the 50/50 joint company of GE and Safran Aircraft Engines of France, is the first commercial jet engine to use CMCs in the high-pressure turbine section. The LEAP engine, with more than 10,500 orders and commitments, is currently completing certification testing. It is scheduled to enter airline service next year powering the Airbus A320neo and in 2017 powering the Boeing 737 MAX.
GE Aviation is investing more than $200 million to construct two factories on 100 acres in Huntsville, Alabama. When the factories are fully operational later this decade, they are expected to employ up to 300 people. The plants are expected to be completed by the first half of 2018. Production begins in 2018. GE expects to begin hiring the hourly workforce later this year.
"GE Aviation is creating a fully integrated supply chain for producing CMC components in large volume, which is unique to the United States," said Sanjay Correa, vice president who leads the industrialization of advanced technologies at GE Aviation. "The new factories in Alabama are vital to this strategy. We are deeply gratified by the tremendous local, state, and national support for this effort."
While meeting critical U.S. needs for CMC materials for commercial and government-funded programs, the new plants will support GE and its international partners in selling and supporting jet engines and gas turbines worldwide. For example, approximately 61% of GE Aviation's 2015 revenues of $25 billion were derived from customers based outside the United States. GE and its partner companies sell most 70% of its commercial jet engines to non-U.S. companies.
www.geaviation.com
GE Aviation, Cincinnati, has broken ground for two materials factories near Huntsville: One facility will produce SiC ceramic fiber, while the other will use SiC ceramic fiber to make tape for ceramic matrix composite components in jet engines and land-based gas turbines.
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Penn State to lead $20 million NETL coalition for fossil energy research
May 16, 2016
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The DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), South Park Township, Pa., has selected Pennsylvania State University, State College, as the lead institution to establish the six-year, $20 million University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research. The Coalition will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from participating universities to address the fundamental challenges that impede advancement of fossil energy-based technologies.
Research will directly support the Office of Fossil Energy's Coal and Oil and Gas programs by focusing efforts in a variety of pertinent areas that include, but are not limited to, advanced energy systems, carbon dioxide capture and storage, natural gas resources and infrastructure, and onshore and offshore oil and gas technology. The Coalition will facilitate basic and applied energy research and promote multidisciplinary collaboration among the member universities and NETL.
Penn State, the lead institution, will leverage expertise, facilities, and resources from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Texas A&M University, University of Kentucky, University of Southern California, University of Tulsa, University of Wyoming, and Virginia Polytechnic and State University.
The coordination structure is flexible, allowing for new university members to provide additional research capabilities and collaborations as needed throughout the research lifespan. Members of the Coalition will actively seek industry participation in research projects and promote technology transfer to the private sector.
The research completed throughout the six-year initiative is expected to accelerate the development and deployment of fossil fuel-based technologies, enabling the continued use of our nation's abundant natural resources.
http://news.psu.edu/story/410564/2016/05/13/research/under-pressure
The DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), South Park Township, Pa., has selected Pennsylvania State University, State College, as the lead institution to establish the six-year, $20 million University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research.
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CarTech PremoMax alloy steel designed for downhole oil/gas drilling
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Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., introduces PremoMax, a premium melted, quenched and tempered, cost-effective alloy steel that provides high strength, excellent impact toughness, and good hardenability in large section sizes. Developed for use in multiple downhole drilling applications such as mud motor shafts and related components, it demonstrates superior performance in challenging environments.
PremoMax composition is C 0.22, Mn 2.0, Si 1.0, Cr 2.0, Ni 0.70, Mo 0.20, V 0.35, Cu 0.50. Its moderate carbon content facilitates weldability, while vacuum arc remelting ensures superior cleanliness, excellent high-cycle fatigue strength, and outstanding fracture toughness. Machinability and weldability, coupled with strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance, make PremoMax alloy a cost-effective and durable drilling solution for rigid formation and high-rotation penetration demands. PremoMax is considered to be a superior alternative to 4330 V.
http://www.cartech.com
Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., introduces PremoMax, a premium melted, quenched and tempered, cost-effective alloy steel that provides high strength, excellent impact toughness, and good hardenability in large section sizes.
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ATI announces restructuring of Flat Rolled Products operations
April 20, 2016
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Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, announces the next phase in the restructuring of its Flat Rolled Products (FRP) operations with the reduction of approximately one third of FRP's salaried workforce through the elimination of over 250 positions. This workforce reduction will be completed by the end of the second quarter 2016. As a result of these actions, ATI will record a $9 million severance charge in first quarter 2016 results. These actions are expected to generate annualized cost savings benefits of over $30 million beginning in the third quarter 2016.
"Reducing our flat-rolled products business' dependence on unprofitable commodity products is a difficult process," said Rich Harshman, Chairman, President and CEO. "We believe in U.S. manufacturing. However, it is difficult for a U.S.-based company to compete in the global commodity markets, particularly when significant global overcapacity exists for products such as commodity stainless steel sheet and grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES). The restructuring and right-sizing actions we are taking, while painful for our employees and our company, are necessary to help secure the future of ATI Flat Rolled Products.
"We are in the process of creating a smaller, more agile, streamlined, cohesive, and efficient FRP business that will focus on products and markets with significant technical barriers to entry. As previously announced, our stainless steel facility in Midland, Pa., has been idled to reduce our exposure to commodity stainless steel sheet. Our GOES operation will be idled this month. These actions improve ATI's focus on differentiated flat-rolled products that serve growing global markets. The future restart of the idled operations depends on future business conditions and ATI's ability to earn an acceptable return on invested capital on products manufactured at these operations.
"The reduction in FRP's salaried workforce is another step in our journey to return the FRP business to profitability as quickly as possible, and to execute our strategy for sustainable long-term profitable growth. We expect the FRP business to be modestly profitable in the second half of 2016."
www.ATImetals.com.
Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, announces the next phase in the restructuring of its Flat Rolled Products (FRP) operations with the reduction of approximately one third of FRP’s salaried workforce through the elimination of over 250 positions.
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Ipsen ships heat treating furnaces for aerospace, automotive, and power applications
March 30, 2016
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Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped seven furnaces around the globe for applications in aerospace, automotive, and power-generation. Shipments included both custom-built furnaces and standard Titan furnaces, and they were sent to customers in Alabama, California, Missouri, and Texas, as well as China and Japan.
The equipment ranged from a vertical bottom-loading MetalMaster with an 84 x 84-inch molybdenum hot zone sent to California, to a Titan H2 vacuum furnace sent to Japan. Other furnaces included horizontal MetalMaster furnaces, H2- and H4-size furnaces from Ipsen's Titan line, and a Global Vertical furnace from the TurboTreater line. Overall, these shipments represent sophisticated and intuitive heat-treating solutions through an all-inclusive product line that supports a wide range of applications and processes.
To best support such diverse industries and needs around the world, Ipsen's Global Support Team facilitates furnace installations, and provides expert training, startup assistance, and 360-degree support throughout the entire lifespan of the equipment.
www.IpsenUSA.com/Products
Ipsen, Cherry Valley, Ill., recently shipped seven furnaces around the globe for applications in aerospace, automotive, and power-generation.
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