New, Faster Way to Make Stronger, Lighter Steel

Detroit entrepreneur Gary Cola showed off a process to Ohio State University engineers that actually improves upon the current process of making steel. The process of making steel was thought to be perfected, but Cola’s new process quickly bakes and cools sheets of steel, and the result — called Flash Bainite — is steel that is 7% stronger than the steel made with the tried-and-true method, a well as more ductile, able to crumple more than other steels before breaking, in theory, making it a better option for protection.

Typically, steel is heated at 900 degrees Celsius for a few hours, but Cola’s process heats sheets of steel at 1100 degrees Celsius then rolls it through a cooling liquid bath. The Ohio State University engineers received samples of Flash Bainite to test, and found that Cola’s claims that the steel was stronger and lighter were true.

How long does Cola’s process take? Ten seconds. Not only does that allow the stronger, lighter Flash Bainite to be produced more quickly than other steels, but the short production time is more energy efficient, which in turn saves producers money. Read more about the story behind Cola’s steel over on EurekAlert.

(EurekAlert! via Engadget)

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James Plafke