INNOVATIONS IN MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL ECONOMY Stainless steel saves weight, reduces emissions in autos BRIEFS Stainless steel in automotive construction can save weight and thus conserve resources without Alcan has inaugurated a compromising safety standards, according to the “Next Generation Vehicle” project, an alliance of technologically advanced leading stainless steel producers and automotive OEMs. horizontal furnace at its The project was launched at the end of 2004 with the aim of identifying potential for stainless Sierre facility in Switzerland. Its power steel in auto structures. The automotive OEMs participating in the project were Audi, BMW, Chrysler, consumption is four times Fiat, General Motors/Saab, and Ford/Volvo. The stainless steel producers involved were Thyssen lower than older furnaces, Krupp Nirosta (Germany), Outokumpu (Finland), and ArcelorMittal Stainless (France). and its closed circulation The goal was to draw up processing guidelines for stainless steels as a prerequisite for their appli- system limits its water cation. For example, this was done with reference to B-pillars, which were tested in crash simulations. consumption. The results were verified in collaboration with leading suppliers of simulation programs for metal www.alcan.com forming. The project’s findings have been summarized in design and processing guidelines. A cost model was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ArcelorMittal plans to invest $1.3 billion annu- This program allows different production methods and materials to be compared directly and ally in its European the optimum stainless steel solution determined. flat-bar steel production For more information: Erik Walner, ThyssenKrupp Stainless AG, Germany; tel: 49 203 52 45130; plants until 2012. $283 erik.walner@thyssenkrupp; www.thyssenkrupp.com; www.ngvproject.org. million is to be invested in the modernization and Volvo Aero to develop new Airbus turbine exhaust case expansion of its Pratt & Whitney and Volvo Aero have reached an agreement in which Volvo Aero has been production plants in the contracted to reduce the weight of the turbine exhaust case (TEC) for the GP7000 engine for the German cities of Eisenhuettenstadt and jumbo jet.. The agreement also anticipates that Volvo Aero will assume responsi- Bremen. bility for manufacturing and product support for the TEC during the engine’s lifetime. www.arcelor-mittal.com The turbine exhaust case is a highly critical part of the because, among other reasons, one of its integral features is one of the two support systems that carry the weight of the Clemex Technologies entire engine. Volvo Aero’s strategy of focusing on lightweight technologies for aircraft engine Inc. announces that it components enabled the company to redesign an existing component with an alternative ap- has sold six CMT proach that would reduce weight. The de- (Computerized Japan top steel companies to sign reduces the weight of the TEC by more Microhardness Testers) than 10%, resulting in a substantial benefit instruments to various double sheet production abroad clients in the metallurgical Japan’s top four steelmakers are planning to double their in terms of fuel consumption and environ- sector in the month of overseas production of automotive steel sheet in three years, mental impact. An extensive development September. The CMT is a move that will enable them to capture a combined 40% of program has been established to verify the an instrument that the market. Major Japanese steelmakers have the lead in this new design and validate that the new TEC measures hardness of field as they promote joint development with such firms meets the high goals established. Following materials at microscopy TEC validation, it is projected that series levels by image analysis, as Toyota Motor Corp. the field of expertise of The four steelmakers are Nippon Steel Corp., JFE Steel Corp., production of the new TEC for the GP7000 engine could start as early as 2010. www. Clemex. Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., and Kobe Steel Ltd. They www.clemex.com volvoaero.com have a combined production of about four million tons of automotive steel sheet at overseas facilities each year. Toray to mass-produce carbon JFE Steel will soon outsource production to major German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp AG to provide products to the fiber parts for automotive European plants of such firms as Toyota. Sumitomo Metal will Toray Industries Inc., Japan’s largest carbon partner with India’s Tata Steel Ltd., possibly by the end of the fiber producer, plans to produce such parts year. Kobe Steel has begun considering expanding the U.S. as door panels, roofs, and hoods via injec- joint venture with U. S. Steel Group, which currently has the tion-molding machines by mixing carbon capacity to produce one million tons annually. Nippon Steel fiber and thermoplastic resin. The firm cur- plans to expand joint operations in the United States, Brazil, rently supplies carbon fiber parts such as China, and Thailand, as well as launch a joint venture in India. drive shafts, and is the sole supplier of carbon fiber for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES/DECEMBER 2007 19 BRIEFS Commercial Metals Company, headquar- Toray says it will target chassis and car bodies for its carbon fiber auto tered in Irving, Texas, announces that its Swiss sub- components as automakers try to make lighter cars to improve fuel effi- sidiary, Commercial Metals International ciency. The firm plans to build a research and development center in Nagoya AG, has completed the acquisition of all out- next year and will add production functions around 2010 to supply auto standing shares of Valjaonica Cijevi Sisak from parts in addition to components. It has already announced a $470 the Croatian Privatization Fund and Croatian gov- million capital investment plan to expand production facilities for carbon ernment. www.cmc.com fiber in Japan, the United States, and France. www.toray.com The Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) and Delft University of Technology Global steel industry accounts in the Netherlands have established the Jaap Schijve Award. This prize of $7000 is to be for 3% of CO2 emissions awarded to a young researcher who has made The iron and steel industry produces just over 3% of global GHG emis- an outstanding contribution to scientific progress sions, mainly CO2, reports the International Iron and Steel Institute, Brussels, in fatigue and damage tolerance as applied to Belgium. In 2006, the world used 1.1 billion metric tons of steel products. aerospace. Prof. Rinze Benedictus, R.Benedictus@ In response, the steel industry has been developing cleaner and more ef- tudelft.nl. ficient technologies, and improving the sustainability and recycling of steel Element Six, which develops synthetic diamond products. Steel is fully recyclable, and more than 250 million metric tons of and cubic boron nitride, announces the comple- steel products are recycled every year. The industry is committed to fur- tion of its acquisition of Barat Carbide Holding ther reduce CO2 emissions through improved recycling, innovations in GmbH, a maker of tungsten carbide wear solu- technology, a coordinated global approach, and better reporting procedures. tions for soft rock tools in mining. www.e6.com Although CO2 emissions from industrial activities have been decreasing Midlands Consortium U.K. has been chosen over the last 35 years, emissions from domestic and transport vehicles have to host a new $2 billion Energy Technologies Insti- increased or remained unchanged. Compared to the 3.2% of GHG emis- tute to develop cleaner energies. The Midlands sions from the global steel industry, transport — which includes road, air, rail, Consortium is comprised of the universities of Birm- and shipping — accounts for 13.5%. Energy consumption by residential ingham, Loughborough, and Nottingham. www. and commercial buildings make up 15.3% of global GHG emissions. nottingham.ac.uk www.worldsteel.org

20 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES/DECEMBER 2007