Bulk Nanostructured Metal

The first cheap alloy which can be produced in large quantities without capital investment, which can be formed and which can be produced without deformation or rapid heat treatment. The alloy can be made in large sizes (greater than 200 mm) in all directions. The controlling scale of the structure is the same as that of carbon nanotubes, and yet, it is stronger than any carbon nanotube for sizes in excess of 2 mm.

The material is now being produced on a large scale and with large dimensions.

Reviews

• "The first bulk nanostructured metal"
  Science and Technology of Advanced Materials 14 (2013) 014202.
Winner of the STAM Best Paper Prize 2015. Citation: The judges were impressed by the standard of your paper, in particular with regards to its impact and contribution to the materials science community. Your paper was clearly written to maximise readership, and within these criteria the STAM Editorial Board unanimously approved its selection for the Best Paper Award.
• "Nanostructured Bainite"
  Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 466 (2010) 3-18.
• "Very Strong Bainite"
  Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, Vol. 8 (2004) 251-257.
• "52nd Hatfield Memorial Lecture: Large Chunks of Very Strong Steel"
  Materials Science and Technology, Vol. 21 (2005) 1293-1302.
• "The Limits of Grain Size"
  Scripta Materialia, Vol. 51 (2004) 767-770.
• "Bulk Nanocrystalline Steels"
  Ironmaking and Steelmaking, Vol. 32, 2005, 405-410.
• "Fine grains and small particles of iron"
  Electric Furnace Steel (Denki-Seiko), Vol. 77 (2006) 103--106.
• Poster

Original Papers

Micrograph Library

• Fe-0.79C-1.59Si-1.94Mn-0.30Mo-1.33Cr-0.11V wt%
• Fe-0.98C-1.46Si-1.89Mn-0.005Ni-0.26Mo-1.26Cr-0.09V wt%
• Fe-0.83C-1.57Si-1.98Mn-0.24Mo-1.02Cr-1.54Co wt%
• Fe-0.80C-1.59Si-2.01Mn-0.24Mo-1Cr-1.51Co wt%
• Fe-0.78C-1.49Si-1.95Mn-0.24Mo-0.97Cr-1.6Co-0.99Al wt%
• Fe-0.79C-1.56Si-1.98Mn-0.24Mo-1.01Cr-1.51Co-1.01Al wt%

Optical Micrographs

Super Bainite, 0.79C,1.56Si,1.98Mn,0.24 Mo, 1.01Cr,1.51Co and 1.01Al wt%, Austenitized at 920 centigrade for 30 min and heat treated at 200 centigrade for 3 days. Photographs provided by Vijay Jerath of CORUS U.K.

Large Quantity of Extremely Strong Bainite

Some six tonnes of an alloy which represents the first bulk nanostructured metal has been produced.

Six tonnes of nanostructured bainite. Photograph: Peter Brown

Six tonnes of superbainite. Photograph: Peter Brown

Six tonnes of extremely strong bainite. Photograph: Peter Brown

Coils

The steel was then further hot-rolled and coiled hot. Its microstructure at this stage is pearlite. The following photographs have been provided by Peter Brown. The strong bainite is produced in subsequent heat treatment.

The final picture shows the flat segments ready for heat-treatment into the nanostructured bainite.

Cylindrical Ingots

The steel capable of producing nanostructured bainite is on the right. These five ingots are produced using a special casting technology.

The austenitisation heat treatement for superbainite	The austenitisation heat treatement for superbainite
Removal from austenitisation furnace
	Transport to the isothermal transformation salt-bath where bainite forms.
Plunged into the low-temperature salt-bath.
	Once the sample has reached the required temperature, it is removed from the salt bath and placed in an oven at that temperature.