Iowa State wins $2.8 million DOE grant to make ductile 6.5% Si electrical steel
October 31, 2016
Source:
Iowa State University and its Ames Laboratory report that researchers have received a three-year, $2.8 million grant to develop a ductile electrical steel containing 6.5% silicon, twice the amount in electric motor steel today. The extra silicon increases the electrical resistivity of the material by about 50%, helping to make the motors smaller, lighter, more powerful, and more cost effective. Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Jun Cui says he thinks these motors could run at much higher frequencies – jumping from today's 60 hertz all the way to 400 hertz — but the alloy is currently too brittle and too expensive to make.
Therefore, the U.S. Department of Energy is supporting the work with a three-year, $3.8 million grant from the DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program. Of that, $2.8 million will support research at Iowa State. The project also includes research partners from the United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut; and the University of Delaware in Newark.
The Iowa State-Ames Laboratory researchers will study and characterize different processes for making the new electrical steel to increase ductility and reduce manufacturing costs. Prof. Cui says that the researchers are also committed to developing materials and motors that do not depend on magnets made with rare-earth materials, which are rising in cost.
"The fundamental drive for this project is that we want more cost-effective and efficient electric motors," Prof. Cui says. "In about ten years, if we're lucky, we should see a real impact of this work. We should see these motors on the road." (Image courtesy Nucor)
http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2016/09/27/electricalsteel
Iowa State University and its Ames Laboratory report that researchers have received a three-year, $2.8 million grant to develop a ductile electrical steel containing 6.5% silicon, twice the amount in electric motor steel today.
Continue reading
One Minute Mentor: Variations in Heat-Treating Cycles of PH Stainless Steels
Source:
One of the principal advantages of these materials is their versatility. Although certain heat treatments are classified as standard, there are applications where deviations from these standards are desirable.
The graphs show the effect of variations in annealing temperature on typical mechanical properties of 17-7 PH sheet, strip, and plate.
Heat Treating of Precipitation-Hardenable Stainless Steels and Iron-Base Superalloys ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels ⇒ General Procedures
One of the principal advantages of these materials is their versatility.
Continue reading
Thermo-Calc and QuesTek partner for advanced modeling and materials design
October 28, 2016
Source: ASM International
Thermo-Calc Software AB, Stockholm, and QuesTek International LLC, Evanston, Ill., have partnered to establish a joint company, QuesTek Europe AB, which will offer Integrated Computational Materials Engineering modeling services and novel materials design and development to the European market.
Continue reading
Harper teams with Oak Ridge to improve carbon fiber production
Source:
Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., announces that in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it has been awarded funding for a project through the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office's HPC4Mfg Program. The program was designed to spur the use of high-performance supercomputers to advance U.S. manufacturing via public-private partnerships.
Specifically, the Harper International/ORNL project, titled "Development and Validation of Simulation Capability for the High Capacity Production of Carbon Fiber," will focus on analysis of critical processing factors, such as temperature, gas flow, and chemical reaction, in carbon fiber production equipment. The purpose is to ensure that designs provide the necessary uniformity to produce fiber of a certain quality, output, and cost ideal for automotive applications. Results will then be validated at the pilot scale equipment designed and installed by Harper at ORNL's Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, followed by testing in a commercial production facility.
"This project allows Harper to continue its work as a champion of innovative carbon fiber processing technologies to meet the needs of future markets, such as mass automotive applications, now with access to world-class supercomputers and deeper scientific expertise," commented Dr. Prasad Apte, Director of Technology at Harper International. "We are proud to be collaborating with the pioneering thought leaders at ORNL in continuation of our strong relationship."
www.harperintl.com
Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., announces that in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it has been awarded funding for a project through the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office’s HPC4Mfg Program.
Continue reading
University at Buffalo receives $2.9 million for modeling/simulations lab
Source:
The University at Buffalo, N.Y., has received a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to transform the traditional role of a database as a repository for information into an automated computer laboratory that rapidly collects, interprets, and learns from massive amounts of information.
The lab, which also will conduct large-scale materials modeling and simulations based upon untapped troves of visual data, will be accessible to the scientific community and ultimately speed up and reduce the cost of discovering, manufacturing and commercializing new materials.
"This pioneering and multidisciplinary approach to advanced materials research will provide the scientific community with tools it needs to accelerate the pace of discovery, leading to greater economic security and a wide range of societal benefits," said Venu Govindaraju, PhD, UB's vice president for research and economic development.
Dr. Govindaraju, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, is the grant's principal investigator. Co-principal investigators, all from UB, are: Krishna Rajan, ScD, Erich Bloch Endowed Chair of the Department of Materials Design and Innovation (MDI); Thomas Furlani, PhD, director of the Center for Computational Research; Srirangaraj "Ranga" Setlur, principal research scientist; and Scott Broderick, PhD, research assistant professor in MDI.
The award, from NSF's Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBS) program, draws upon UB's expertise in artificial intelligence, specifically its groundbreaking work that began in the 1980s to enable machines to read human handwriting. The work has saved postal organizations billions of dollars in the U.S. and worldwide.
UB will use the DIBBS grant to create what it is calling the Materials Data Engineering Laboratory at UB (MaDE @UB). The lab will introduce the tools of machine intelligence -- such as machine learning, pattern recognition, materials informatics and modeling, high-performance computing and other cutting-edge technologies -- to transform data libraries into a laboratory that not only stores and searches for information, but also predicts and processes information to discover advanced materials.
www.buffalo.edu
The University at Buffalo, N.Y., has received a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to transform the traditional role of a database as a repository for information into an automated computer laboratory that rapidly collects, interprets, and learns from massive amounts of information.
Continue reading
Voestalpine opens $740 million direct iron reduction plant in Texas
Source:
The Voestalpine Group, Austria, has opened a direct iron reduction plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, at a cost of $740 million, the largest investment ever made in the United States by an Austrian company. Each year it will produce two million metric tons of high-quality HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron, or sponge iron), a sophisticated pre-material used in steel production. The plant is already regarded as an environmental benchmark and is an important first step on Voestalpine's path of reducing CO2 emissions in steel production.
Voestalpine is continuing to systematically drive forward its expansion in the NAFTA region. In accordance with Group Strategy 2020, it is intended to increase revenue generated in this region from its current level of $1.4 billion to $3.4 billion by the business year 2020/21.
"Today's opening of the direct reduction plant in Corpus Christi is an important step for the future and into the future of our company," says Wolfgang Eder, Chairman of the Management Board. "The new plant will not only secure the Austrian Voestalpine sites by supplying premium pre-materials for steel production, but also it will contribute significantly to further strengthening our position in the NAFTA region. Furthermore, over the long term it offers us new technological options for decarbonizing steel production."
From the business year 2017/18 onwards, Voestalpine Texas LLC, a company in the Steel Division of the Voestalpine Group, will use natural gas to produce two million metric tons of premium HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron-sponge iron) each year, 40% of which (800,000 metric tons) will cover internal requirements. The remaining 60% of the production volume goes to external partners, with the corresponding offtake agreements already having ensured full capacity utilization for the next four years.
www.voestalpine.com
The Voestalpine Group, Austria, has opened a direct iron reduction plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, at a cost of $740 million, the largest investment ever made in the United States by an Austrian company.
Continue reading
One Minute Mentor: CA-6NM Stainless Steel Casting Alloy
October 24, 2016
Source:
A significant practical advantage of the CA-6NM stainless steel casting alloy is its relative freedom from the rapid drop in hardness when tempered above about 950°F. The graph shows clearly that a given increase in tempering temperature produces a much more gradual decrease in hardness than with CA-15. This makes heat treating much easier and cheaper, and decreases the frequency of rejections and/or the necessity for reheat treatment.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels ⇒ Casting Alloys
A significant practical advantage of the CA-6NM stainless steel casting alloy is its relative freedom from the rapid drop in hardness when tempered above about 950°F.
Continue reading
Constellium invests $200 million in aluminum sheet finishing line in France
October 19, 2016
Source:
Constellium N.V., Amsterdam, has invested $200 million in a new state-of-the-art finishing line at its plant in Neuf-Brisach, France, to meet growing demand for aluminum automotive body sheet. With a production capacity of 100,000 tons, the new 240-meter long finishing line features high-speed thermal treatment, precise temperature control, a highly efficient quenching process, and greater flexibility on the thickness of processed alloys.
This diverse range of innovative technologies will enable Constellium to manufacture high-quality aluminum products for automotive closure inners, outers, and body-in-white. The new finishing line is in the final stage of the qualification phase, and has already started commercial production.
"On the heels of the launch of our new manufacturing plant with our joint venture partner UACJ Corporation in Bowling Green, Kentucky, opening of the new finishing line in Neuf-Brisach is another critical step in the execution of our worldwide automotive growth strategy," said Jean-Marc Germain, Chief Executive Officer of Constellium.
According to Arnaud Jouron, President of Constellium's Packaging and Automotive Rolled Products business unit, "With top-notch technologies, a long-standing automotive expertise among our staff on both sides of the ocean, and an additional line located in the heart of Europe, we are well positioned to capture the growth for automotive body sheet in Europe and across the globe."
Built in 1967, the Neuf-Brisach plant is an integrated aluminum rolling, finishing, and recycling facility. In Neuf-Brisach, Constellium designs and produces a wide portfolio of coil and sheet products for automotive OEMs as well as food and beverage can customers. Adding to the production capacity of aluminum automotive body sheet in Neuf-Brisach, the opening of this additional finishing line is expected to significantly boost Constellium's sheet production capacity in Europe to meet anticipated automotive market growth.
www.constellium.com
Constellium N.V., Amsterdam, has invested $200 million in a new state-of-the-art finishing line at its plant in Neuf-Brisach, France, to meet the growing demand for aluminum automotive body sheet.
Continue reading
Bright annealing furnace heat treats stainless steel under inert gas
Source:
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Warren, Ohio, recently shipped a bright annealing induction furnace to a major stainless steel tube manufacturer in the Northeast United States. This bright annealing system progressively heats the stainless steel tube to high temperatures in an atmosphere of inert gases, and then anneals the tube in a cooling chamber, reducing the hardness to achieve ductility for further processing. Special features include the ability to produce a high-quality product with a ready-to-ship surface finish.
The equipment supplied consists of a hydrogen atmosphere heating and cooling system, utilizing an Ajax Tocco 75 kW Pacer T IGBT induction power supply. The system is capable of processing tubing from 0.25 - 0.625 inch outside diameter.
Ajax Tocco is a leader in providing induction heating and processing solutions for bar and tube applications, including bright annealing. Its experience in providing this type of system was a key factor in the tube manufacturer's decision to choose Ajax Tocco Magnethemic as the supplier.
www.ajaxtocco.com
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Warren, Ohio, recently shipped a bright annealing induction furnace to a major stainless steel tube manufacturer in the Northeast United States.
Continue reading
Compact atmosphere box furnace heat treats medical device components
Source:
Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an atmosphere box furnace to a leading supplier of the medical device industry for heat treating parts. The Treet-All light industrial box furnace was supplied with a programmable temperature controller and is ideal for heat treating small batches of parts. Its compact design saves on valuable floor space while offering premium performance and efficiency with fast heat-up rates and low outer shell temperatures.
This Treet-All atmosphere box furnace with retort offers a broad temperature range of 1400 to 2050°F, with a work area temperature uniformity of ±25°F. The work chamber dimensions of the box furnace are 12 x 18 x 12 inches. The retort minimizes the amount of oxygen within the chamber by purging with nitrogen. To ensure quick heating and low heat storage, the box furnace utilizes a vacuum-formed ceramic fiber insulation.
The furnace includes an alloy hearth plate and is heated by retained alloy resistive elements positioned on the roof, floor, and both sidewalls to surround the workspace. The unit features a double side hinged insulated door plug that keeps the inner hot surface away from the operator when the doors are opened. A door limit switch is in place for power cutoff when opening the doors to charge or unload the work.
"The modular, stackable, and space saving design of the Treet-All makes this box furnace an ideal solution for any workspace," says Jason Dobberstein, Sales Engineer
Unique features of this Treet-All Box Furnace include:
• Vacuum formed ceramic fiber modules with low heat storage for fast heat up rates
• Prewired, side mounted, forced air-cooled control console
• Programmable temperature controller with 256 steps and 40 profiles available for ramp and soak programs
www.lindbergmph.com
Lindberg MPH, Riverside, Mich., has shipped an atmosphere box furnace to a leading supplier of the medical device industry for heat treating parts.
Continue reading 