Low Carbon Footprint of Eco-Designed AUStempered NANostructured Bain/FerrITE Steels

ongoing

AUSNANITE proposes groundbreaking strategies to eco-design and implement cost-effective, low-emission steels and processes based on austempering, as an alternative that outperform the conventional quenching and tempering (Q&T) method, —providing a both mechanically superior and sustainable alternative to conventional high-strength quenched and tempered (Q&T) steels, which implies significantly higher GHG emissions and carbon footprint. A substitution of 10% of Q&T steels would reduce the emissions by up to 100,000 tonnes of CO2, while partly replacing scarce and critical alloying metals by abundant and affordable silicon. The main innovation of the project relies on two improved concepts for austempering steel alloys with medium C and extra-high Si contents, while maintaining a minimum alloying-cost and process-cost philosophy, through the development and implementation of industrially viable design procedures. The thermodynamic and kinetic relationships between alloy compositions, microstructures, and process parameters during hot forming and heat treatments will be precisely mapped using state-of-the-art in-situ microscopy, atom probe tomography and diffraction techniques. The results of the laboratory-scale investigations will be validated through industrial case studies involving high-performance products developed and manufactured by three leading, end-users, being EU companies in key strategic sectors. Combined product of strength × ductility is expected to be at least +20% higher, while in-service life will be prolonged by at least +50% for the steel parts subject to fatigue and wear. The AUSNANITE project is, thus, justified by its potential to dramatically improve industrial processing efficiency, reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and production costs, while promoting the responsible use of raw materials and extending the in-service life of high-performance steel products, all converging to Sustainability goals.