Engineering structures to achieve targeted properties in steels on a nanoscale level

Abstract

A nanotechnology approach to bulk materials will be described to show how solid state transformations can be used to refine the microstructural scale in ‘steels’ to achieve phase sizes in the nanoscale regime (i.e. 10–100 nm). The role of solid/solid state transformations in enabling this refinement will be explained, and also how this achievement can represent an enabling ability to develop vastly improved properties which are not possible on conventional length scales. Several specific case examples will be presented detailing the challenges and fundamental principles that have been used to engineer the nanostructure of steels to achieve high strength/hardness, high energy density/high intrinsic coercivity, and high tensile elongation/low-temperature superplasticity. Within these case examples, specific aspects of microstructure engineering will be coupled with fundamental principles to show how this approach can enable vast improvements in targeted sets of properties in nanostructured steels.