New Steel Alloy

[Lynn LeFey]

Just some news on the material science front.

"Scientists Invent a New, Lighter Steel that's as Strong as Titanium"

Interesting, even if it hasn't actually reached 'real world' production.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/news/a13919/new-steel-alloy-titanium/

[dks]

I was about to post this   

South Korea seems to be going from strength to strength - decent cars, electronics  and now even inventing new materials.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Interesting read.

13% less dense than steel sounds interestin for specific weight saving issues, but where weight is an issue, most manufacturers are already using aluminum or titanium.  In fact, to reduce the weight (and increase the fuel economy) of the next generation Jeeps they are talking about aluminum bodies.

I wonder what specific markets they are looking at for this steel. I don't see much benefit to reducing the weight of a steel construct (like a building) by 13%, as that will be negligible by the time you factor in the mass of glass, drywall, wiring, contents and occupants of the building.

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[ducttapetech]

I wonder if it is more for military  use. Say tank armour maybe.

Nate

[dks]

The LR had aluminium bodies from the forties..     

The important thing, compared to what the Soviets were creating, is that it can flex.
Aluminium bodies are notoriously hard to repair, so maybe if you can have a light alloy car body, that can be repaired after a crash, it will be very useful.

Also, whereas 13% may not sound much (for structures) it will be important for e.g. racing, provided the cost is less than other lightweight alloys of similar strength.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Race cars are mostly fiberglass, titanium, aluminum, carbon fiber and magnesium these days. You'd be hard pressed to find any steel in them.  I suppose it's possible that they might exchange some of the aluminum or titanium for lightweight steel since it would theoretically be easier to work, but they already have the equipment in place.

Tanks and other military equipment crossed my mind as potential uses, as did ship hulls.

Def

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[Etherealicer]

Race cars are mostly fiberglass, titanium, aluminum, carbon fiber and magnesium these days. You'd be hard pressed to find any steel in them.  I suppose it's possible that they might exchange some of the aluminum or titanium for lightweight steel since it would theoretically be easier to work, but they already have the equipment in place.

Tanks and other military equipment crossed my mind as potential uses, as did ship hulls.

Def

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You should also consider economical reasons. If you can build your product to the same specs (or even lighter in weight) with less and/or cheaper material you save on production. Volkswagen has switched from Al to light-weight steel for its Golf. Not only is the resulting car lighter, they also save money in production.

Volkswagen Replaces Aluminum With Steel To Save Weight And Money