Materion receives Nadcap Merit Status for Heat Treatment
September 7, 2016
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Materion Corp., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has earned Nadcap Merit Status from the Performance Review Institute for heat treatment and tensile/hardness testing at its plant in Lorain, Ohio. Nadcap accreditation is important, and in many cases it is required, for companies producing materials or providing services to the aerospace and defense industries.
"This achievement required the focused effort of our technical and quality staff, as well as the commitment of our shift leaders and operators. They had to understand the demands of a Nadcap-accredited system and to work closely together to prepare for the audit and maintain their contribution to the quality management system year round," said W. Glenn Maxwell, President of Materion Performance Alloys and Composites.
Materion has held Nadcap accreditation since 2009. Having demonstrated ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications, the Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group determined that Materion earned special recognition with Merit Status. This means that, instead of having their next Nadcap audit in twelve months, Materion has been granted an accreditation that lasts eighteen months.
"Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes. Companies such as Materion go above and beyond achieving Nadcap accreditation to obtain Merit Status, and they should be justifiably proud of it," said Joe Pinto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute. "Benefitting from a less frequent audit schedule reduces audit costs and associated pressures and demonstrates the trust that the aerospace industry has in Materion, based on their past performance in Nadcap audits. PRI is proud to support continual improvement in the aerospace industry by helping companies such as Materion be successful and we look forward to continuing to assist the industry moving forward."
www.Materion.com
Materion Corp., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has earned Nadcap Merit Status from the Performance Review Institute for heat treatment and tensile/hardness testing at its plant in Lorain, Ohio.
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Zero Flow gas nitrocarburizing enables better control and lower cost
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Seco Warwick, Meadville, Pa., is demonstrating its ZeroFlow controlled-gas nitriding at the Heat Treatment Exhibition in Moscow this week. Developed in cooperation with Prof. Leszek Małdziński from the Technical University in Poland, the technology is based on the adjusted double-component atmospheres NH3 + dissociated NH3, and NH3 + N2 .
The ZeroFlow method is based on a single-component atmosphere – raw ammonia (NH3). The adjustment of nitriding atmosphere chemical composition, and therefore the control of nitriding potential Np, is performed only by temporary stop and reactivation of NH3 flow into the furnace. The amount flowing into the retort is adjusted and controlled through a gas analyzer (NH3 or H2). Experimental research has shown that the ZeroFlow method is characterized by much lower consumption and emission of gases. It requires a simpler control system and allows for forming the layer phase structure with the same precision as in processes with double-component atmospheres.
"Even though nitriding of steel can be considered a byproduct of the dissociation of ammonia, there is no need to dissociate more ammonia than absolutely necessary," says Prof. Małdziński. "Zero flow nitriding is the first gaseous process that economizes the use of resources without compromising the added value to your product. It allows a targeted treatment of your components, independent of whether you do or do not want a compound layer. Zero flow nitriding gives you larger flexibility, better control, and lower cost of your nitriding process."
https://www.secowarwick.com/en/search?q=zeroflow
Seco Warwick, Meadville, Pa., is demonstrating its ZeroFlow controlled-gas nitriding at the Heat Treatment Exhibition in Moscow this week.
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One Minute Mentor: Duplex Stainless Steels
September 1, 2016
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Complex compounds of iron, chromium, and molybdenum are highly detrimental to toughness and corrosion resistance, particularly the resistance to localized chloride attack. The graph shows the time-temperature exposures required for a 50% reduction in impact strength due to isothermal precipitation of undesirable secondary phases for various duplex stainless steels.
The kinetics of σ/χ precipitation is greatest in the range of about 1500 to 1700°F. The time required to degrade properties depends on the temperature and the alloy content. The increased N content of modern duplex stainless steels significantly decreases the rate of the σ/χ precipitation reactions making it possible to weld these grades without loss of properties due to formation of intermetallic phases. Once intermetallic phases have formed, the only means of removing them and restoring properties is a full solution anneal followed by rapid cooling.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels ⇒ Duplex Stainless Steels
Complex compounds of iron, chromium, and molybdenum are highly detrimental to toughness and corrosion resistance, particularly the resistance to localized chloride attack.
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Nitride coatings based on titanium and other metals protect jet engine components
August 30, 2016
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Wallwork Heat Treating, England, reports that its Nitron Flight PVD-applied nitride coatings based on titanium, chromium, chromium-aluminum, and carbon/metal carbides improve the performance of key jet engine components. The graded coatings are precision engineered for thickness and composition, from 3 to 30 microns thick and hardness up to 3000HV. They are applied to critical flying parts such as turbine blades and other high-stress components.
Advantages include longer service life, extended service intervals, resistance to erosion and encrustation, and increased scope for material substitution to save weight.
Comparative wear tests carried out by Wallwork Cambridge on Ti-64 samples revealed that Nitron Flight coatings reduced abrasive wear by more than 75%. They can be applied to titanium, steel, and advanced alloy surfaces such as engine blades/vanes for operation at temperatures up to 1000°C. The coatings are applied in a duplex process using PVD in a variety of basic formulations of metal nitrides, and in a variety of single and multiple-layer coatings to suit specific applications.
Applications are many and include landing gear, engine bearings, high-temperature engine seals, engine compressor sections, valve components, and many others. The company offers both standard and customized coatings to meet special situations. Coating processes are Nadcap certified with complete documentation and traceability.
www.wallworkht.co.uk
Wallwork Heat Treating, England, reports that its Nitron Flight PVD-applied nitride coatings based on titanium, chromium, chromium-aluminum, and carbon/metal carbides improve the performance of key jet engine components.
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How manganese prevents oxidation in high-strength steel
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A team from the University of Warwick, UK, discovered that the amount of oxide that forms at the surface of automotive high-strength steels depends on the ratio between manganese and additional alloying elements. High-strength steels are obviously an important backbone for applications in the automotive industry, but cost-efficient manufacture requires the suppression of oxides within the steel during sheet production.
When steel sheet is produced in rolling mills at high temperatures, the surface oxidizes quickly, but the grain boundary oxides underneath define the depth of the corroded zone and also the forming limit. Hence, oxidation plays an essential role during the manufacture of high strength steels for automotive applications, because they often contain a higher amount of manganese. Due to their unique mechanical properties, this allows for a significant reduction of sheet thickness, allowing vehicles to be lighter in weight with lower carbon emissions.
The research was led by the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick. The research, led by Dr. Michael Auinger of WMG, together with the Vienna University of Technology (Austria) and Voestalpine Stahl GmbH (Austria) developed a better understanding for the oxidation behavior inside steels during hot rolling, which could potentially help manufacturers to reduce the amount of steel lost during production. Therefore, adapted process parameters and knowledge about the admissible limits of alloy content would help to prevent negative effects of grain boundary oxidation during further steel processing and in-service properties of HSS car body parts.
Dr. Auinger and his co-researchers analyzed the oxidation behavior of different iron-based alloys. They found that particularly the combinations of iron-manganese and a second alloy addition - representing a simplified version of many high strength steels - undergo severe oxide formation along grain boundaries if not processed appropriately.
"Isotope exchange experiments verified that grain boundaries in manganese-containing steels are extremely susceptible to oxide formation. On the other hand, oxide particles inside the grains strongly bind their oxygen atoms. It means that new oxygen has to penetrate the entire oxide zone before forming a new oxide particle at the front," Dr. Auinger says. "The reduced depth of internal oxidation is suggested to be caused by lowering the oxygen diffusion due to trapping reactions at crystal imperfections."
Dr. Auinger argues that from a scientific point of view, this work is particularly important, since it indicates not that the oxidation along grain boundaries is enhanced, but that the oxidation of the alloy additions inside the metallic grains is significantly slower than predicted by theoretical simulations. This helps the understanding of the mechanisms of oxide formation. It also may enable inventing novel strategies that could help to prevent unwanted oxidation, which is currently determined by the cooling efficiency after hot rolling.
The University of Warwick, England, announces that a team of researchers has discovered that the amount of oxide that forms at the surface of automotive high-strength steels depends on the ratio between manganese and additional alloying elements.
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AK Steel launches advanced high-strength steel for automotive applications
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AK Steel, Westchester, Ohio, launches Nexmet 440EX high-strength steel, which provides improved ductility, strength, and formability for automotive applications. The steel is designed for automotive light-weighting in all types of structural and exterior parts. The products are especially designed to help original equipment manufacturers meet their U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets for the year 2025.
This new exposed-surface-quality product combines high yield and tensile strength at thinner gauges to facilitate lightweight designs. This results in enhanced performance where surface appearance and dent resistance are critical. Nexmet 440EX is currently available and is being qualified by automotive OEMs as a steel solution for exposed body panel lightweighting needs.
AK Steel will launch its other next-generation Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) products, Nexmet 1000 and 1200, in early 2017, following completion of upgrades at AK Steel's Dearborn Works hot-dip galvanized line. These AHSS steels will offer significantly improved ductility at tensile strengths of 1000 and 1200 MPa, and will serve to help lightweight automotive body structures.
www.aksteel.com
AK Steel, Westchester, Ohio, launches its Nexmet 440EX high-strength steel that provides greater ductility, strength, and formability for automotive applications.
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Aleris Aluminum to be acquired by Chinese aluminum extrusion company
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Aleris Corp., Cleveland, Oho, a global aluminum rolled products producer, announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Zhongwang USA LLC, a Chinese company. The aggregate value of Aleris amounts to $2.33 billion, comprising $1.11 billion in cash for the equity to be paid by Zhongwang USA, plus $1.22 billion in net debt.
The acquisition of Aleris reflects commitment to disciplined operating investments over the long-term by Mr. Liu Zhongwang, the majority owner of Zhongwang USA, in an industry to which he has been committed for two decades. In addition to his role at Zhongwang USA, Mr. Liu is also the chairman and founder of China Zhongwang, the second largest aluminum extrusions product developer and manufacturer in the world, and the largest in Asia. With the acquisition of Aleris, Mr. Liu will now oversee companies that have complementary geographic footprints and capabilities.
Aleris will continue to be headquartered in Cleveland, and will be operated as an independent entity. The Aleris management team will remain in place, providing continuity for Aleris employees and customers, and supporting the continued implementation of the Aleris strategy.
Aleris will retain its name and continue to serve its customers with no changes to current operations, contracts, or commitments. It will continue with the implementation of all strategic growth projects, including its major expansion project in Lewisport, Kentucky, which will enable Aleris to meet the North American automotive industry's growing demand for aluminum auto body sheet.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, following the customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.
Aleris is a privately held, global leader in aluminum rolled products serving diverse industries including aerospace, automotive, building and construction, commercial transportation, and industrial manufacturing. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Aleris operates production facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
www.aleris.com
Aleris Corp., Cleveland, Oho, a global aluminum rolled products producer, announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Zhongwang USA LLC, a Chinese company.
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One Minute Mentor: Precipitation of Intermetallics in Stainless Steels
August 29, 2016
Source: ASM International
The exposure of duplex stainless steels to temperatures in the range of 1100 to 1850°F can result in the formation of undesirable intermetallic compounds such as σ and χ phases.
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CERN heat treating furnace to process niobium-tin superconducting magnets
August 24, 2016
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The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, announces that it has received a 105-foot-long furnace for the heat treatment of niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) superconducting coils that will be installed in the Future Circular Collider. The furnace completes the equipment required for the production of superconducting coils, which are needed for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrade and future circular colliders.
Superconducting accelerator magnets are key for reaching higher energies and luminosities in particle accelerators.
The HL-LHC upgrade aims for magnetic fields up to 11 Tesla for the dipole magnets, while the Future Circular Collider study explores using magnets with a field of 16 Tesla, almost double the 8.3 Tesla of the superconducting magnets used in the LHC.
To reach these goals new superconducting materials are needed.
"Nb3Sn has been chosen for the next generation of superconducting magnets," says Friedrich Lackner, a project engineer who supervises the coil production for HL-LHC. "The field achieved with this material can reach up to 16 Tesla. The production of such coils is complex, as we must first wind the coils and then carry out the heat treatment that allows the tin and niobium to react and convert to the superconducting Nb3Sn compound."
After the material has undergone this heat treatment, it becomes very brittle, which is why this process is implemented after the winding process—the opposite to magnets in the LHC.
Called GL010000, the furnace will allow the heat treatment of coils up to 36 feet long, and can reach temperatures up to 1650°F, providing a sufficient margin for future challenges.
This treatment involves a two-week process during which the coils are raised to different temperature plateaus up to 1230°F. A special feature is that it is able to raise the coils to such high temperatures completely uniformly throughout the entire furnace, making sure one part does not heat more or less than another.
http://cds.cern.ch/record/2203181
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, announces that it has received a 105-foot-long furnace for the heat treatment of niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) superconducting coils that will be installed in the Future Circular Collider.
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Sinterite custom pusher furnace designed for continuous sintering
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Sinterite, a Gasbarre Furnace Group Company, St. Marys, Pa., has installed a manually operated custom pusher furnace designed for continuous sintering of a range of materials and grades at a facility in Pennsylvania. It consists of two heat control zones and one cooling zone, with a maximum operating temperature of 1800°F.
This particular pusher furnace is unique because of its low operating temperature. Typically, these types of furnaces are designed to operate up to 3000°F. Because of the customer's specialized sintering process and lower temperature requirements, this furnace was customized to meet those unique processing needs.
Sinterite designs, manufactures, and services custom continuous belt and batch furnaces for sintering, brazing, annealing, steam treating, drying and heat treating applications. The installed base of equipment is in excess of 1300 units in more than 47 countries. Sinterite's quality design includes alloy and ceramic muffle systems, powder-handling equipment, custom fabrications, and the exclusively-manufactured HyperCooler sinter-hardening and rapid cooling system.
www.sinterite.com
Sinterite, a Gasbarre Furnace Group Company, St. Marys, Pa., has installed a manually operated custom pusher furnace designed for continuous sintering of a range of materials and grades at a facility in Pennsylvania.
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