Towards the Development of a New Iron Age

Abstract

Steel in its various forms is the most widely utilized metallic alloy and comprises over 80 % by weight of all metallic alloys in industrial use.[1] The development of steel microstructures is based on manipulation of a very specific solid/solid state transformation called an eutectoid transformation (i.e. γaustenite → αferrite+ Fe3Ccementite). The control of this transformation is the primary factor resulting in wide variety of microstructures and resulting properties found in commercial steel alloys. However, the full benefit of its main constituent, iron has never been realized. Based on the metallic bonding in iron, the theoretical tensile strength has been calculated to be 13.2 GPa but ultra high strength steels, even today, only achieve maximum tensile strength levels from 1 to 1.5 GPa. Thus, our modern technological society has been established utilizing approximately only ∼ 10 % strength level of iron. Here we demonstrate that a high level of strength (6.2 GPa) and strength to weight ratio of 8.3 × 104/m3 may be obtained in iron‐based alloys by their solidification into metallic glasses, as well as, by employing another solid state transformation called glass devitrification.

Effects of Thermal Exposure and Test Temperature on Structure Evolution and Hardness/Viscosity of an Iron-Based Metallic Glass

“…have been used to create amorphous coatings in which the BMG particles/powders undergo significant deformation as well as thermal hysteresis. [6] Therefore, the thermal stability and effects of changes in test temperature on the flow behavior are vitally important to both the processing and subsequent properties of these coatings.…”

Devitrification of Fe-Based Amorphous Metal SAM 1651 and the Effect of Heat-Treatment on Corrosion Behavior

“…[4][5][6][7] Several Fe-based structural amorphous metal ͑SAM͒ compositions have been developed. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Farmer et al reported an Fe-based BMG with a nominal composition of Fe 48 Cr 15 Mo 14 C 15 B 6 Y 2 ͑SAM 1651͒ having a high corrosion resistance in hot, concentrated calcium brine. 8 Shan et al investigated the corrosion behavior of SAM 1651 and crystalline Ni-based alloy 22 in hot concentrated brine and showed that SAM 1651 was more corrosion resistant than alloy 22 at high oxidizing potentials.…”

Strategies for developing bulk materials nanotechnology (BMN) into industrial products

“…5 Recently, we have reported a specific structure type called a SGMM structure, which has the ability to deform without runaway shear propagation resulting in the achievement of significant levels of global plasticity and usable ductility. [21][22][23][24] The structural formation model for the SGMM structure required for monolithic technology is shown in Fig. 5.…”

“…Two types of interactions are observed, which are called induced shear band blunting (small circles) and shear band arresting interactions (SBAI) (large circles). [21][22][23][24] In Fig. 6b, additional details of the induced shear band blunting process are shown as a propagating shear band is interacting with the SGMM structure and is blunted due to complex multifold interactions of the shear band with the SGMM structure through localised deformation induced changes including phase transformation, phase growth and in situ nanocrystallisation.…”

“…6b, additional details of the induced shear band blunting process are shown as a propagating shear band is interacting with the SGMM structure and is blunted due to complex multifold interactions of the shear band with the SGMM structure through localised deformation induced changes including phase transformation, phase growth and in situ nanocrystallisation. [21][22][23][24] In Fig. 6c, additional details of the SBAI process are shown, which show that after shear bands are created, they interact with existing shear bands and are often split and blunted after a short distance.…”