A magical metal made of 304 stainless steel: China turns ordinary stainless steel into a diamond.
What scientists have been striving to achieve for decades is becoming a reality - China has created a unique alloy.
Author: Dmitri Kapustin
Image: Chinese scientists have discovered the formula for liquid metal, similar to the T-1000 in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day".
The liquid metal from "The Terminator" may soon become a reality. Chinese scientists have created a unique metal that combines completely incompatible properties - strength, malleability, and stability. Western material scientists have been trying to solve this puzzle for decades...
Researchers at the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have invented a process that can change the internal structure of a metal without altering its appearance. As a result, the most common stainless steel can be "upgraded" to a level suitable for manufacturing spacecraft.
The world is working hard to solve the problem of preventing metal structures from so-called "fatigue." This is a gradual accumulation of internal damage in metals under alternating stress. Cracks first appear at welds and joints, then spread like tumors.
Traditional metal alloys may break or fracture when subjected to sudden external forces exceeding the yield limit, but they also experience fatigue under prolonged pressure below this limit.
Over time, this may lead to irreversible deformation due to the cumulative stress, resulting in microscopic cracks, structural deformation, and eventual failure.
This phenomenon, known as cyclic creep, typically occurs in materials subjected to high temperatures or stress over long periods. For example, turbine blades, suspension bridge cables, and nuclear reactor pipes.
Chinese scientists have found a way to overcome metal fatigue. After "tuning" the metal, its yield limit doubled, and its resistance to cumulative damage increased by 10,000 times. In other words, if ordinary steel parts typically fail after 10 million cycles of load, the parts modified by Chinese engineers will only fail after 100 billion cycles. Now imagine this: roller bearings in complex equipment that previously needed replacement every two months... could now last for hundreds of years. In essence, steel parts have become almost "immortal"!
Chinese engineers stated that their discovery can be applied to submarine pipelines and engine components such as crankshafts and connecting rods, which are subject to periodic pressure.
Why didn't anyone think of a similar method before? Because the team from the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first thoroughly studied the microcrystal structure of steel. They then simulated how to modify it. It was found that the best method is to twist the steel like wringing out a towel. Ultimately, the steel became stronger and more elastic.
This steel forms an intricate structure composed of extremely small "grains," each grain being far less than one micron in size. To achieve this, they twisted the steel multiple times in a special machine. As a result, a three-dimensional "crash barrier" formed inside the metal, resisting potential damage caused by external forces. These "walls" act like springs, absorbing impact forces when subjected to external force.
When impacted, these "springs" activate a denser and finer structure within the metal, making the steel even stronger with greater impact force. Researchers also noted that these secondary reactions occur uniformly, avoiding localized deformation.
Professor Lu, the head of the research team, told reporters during a TV interview that there were no obvious changes on the surface of the material before and after processing. However, the internal structural changes were akin to transforming graphite into diamond.
"The diameter of the new steel's skeleton structure is only one three-hundredth the thickness of a human hair, but it plays a crucial role in redistributing the load," Professor Lu explained.
Currently, Chinese engineers have tested this new technology on AISI 304 low-carbon steel - the most common type of stainless steel in the world, used to manufacture everything from tools to bridge supports. With Professor Lu's nanotechnology treatment, ordinary stainless steel has been transformed into super-strong steel with a gradient structure.
Most importantly, this "alchemy" does not require expensive equipment, high temperatures, or high pressures. This means that this magical stainless steel can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494467496796275239/
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