If I had seen this sooner, it would have found its way onto my materials science and engineering final exam today!

Is this process patented? Hopefully the inventor is fully protected. Looking at the tech graphs in the Gizmag article makes me think it's a novel way of quenching low-carbon steel. This seems like the kind of process that could be included in major steel mills' thermomechanical processing line, so they would have to license it from the patent holder. There is nothing "new" about the steel chemistry, just the way the carbon is arranged within the matrix due to the quenching process.

Any sophomore in engineering materials class has heard of bainite, but he has also been told it's a difficult microstructure to achieve reliably. The heating and quenching process has to be carefully controlled. This is probably the truly valuable intellectual property of Flash Bainite.

Another metallurgical process which generates bainitic microstructure is austempering, which is normally applied to ductile cast iron. This involves heating the workpiece above austenitization temperature, then quenching into molten salt with a hold time proportional to the workpiece material thickness, then slow cooling to room temperature.

The Flash Bainite process I would guess is highly dependent on timing the application of the water quench to get the correct rate of cooling to avoid forming unwanted microstructures. I got a kick out of the picture of the pilot plant setup's 1000kW induction heating generator. I worked for a couple of years with induction heat treating, but never with a generator that big. About 30 years ago, I wrote my college thesis on dual-frequency induction hardening of gears. If I recall correctly, the RF generator I used was 100kW.

Damn! In 2013 I bought a F-150 with the ecoboost engine 345 hp and after 20,000 miles it was getting 21 or so mpg on the highway at 75 mph. when I learned about the 2015 F-150 ecoboost same engine only with a 750 reduction in weight I traded for it. I have 7000 miles on it and the milage is 23 in town and close to 30 when on cruise control at 68 on the highway. That is fast enough for me these days. I spent the 1200 for the extended warrantee to 60,000 miles because they told me nothing should change for 5 years. But if Ford further reduces the weight significantly I may have to trade agin only this time I'll get the smaller enging since I really don't need the power I have because I do not do much towing. I really like this one but if they reduce the weight another 300/400 pounds that means better gas mileage. Damn!

Screw carbon, Rearden Metal's the cheaper, better, faster alternative. Coming soon to a vehicle in my garage... if I had a garage.

Gotta watch that weight, what little is left must be right over the wheels.
Will be watching the new all aluminum F-150, especially in the snow where weight counts the most.

This is excellent news. I recall reading about this some years ago - perhaps due to the prior posting - and all I can say is "Faster!".

I would not mind if the parts manufactured were of the same specs as the current ones and provided additional safety standards, as opposed to reducing the gauge of the steel to lighten the resulting product and maintaining the same safety standards. Since I am amongst those who think that there are enough petroleum resources to last for a couple of centuries, I would prefer to enhance vehicular safety than increase mpg.

Unfortunately, this is not what will 'sell cars'. "Green" and "Low MPG" will sell cars.

Jan

I wonder if A.R. ever thought that her vision of Reardon Steel would become a reality. Next, I suppose, will be Galt's engine. We're almost completely at her dystopian world. I'm not sure whether this gives me the creeps or hope for the future. If it's hope, it's pretty far into the future at the way things are going now.

Just keep it away from the government thieves and their 'for the common good' line and 'fair share' equivocations. e have already seen how government help has damaged more businesses than it has helped!

Seems like it is sort of good, but nothing earth shattering. Applied to 4130 steel, it is twice the strength of fully annealed 4130, but it is about the same strength as tempered 4130 (213ksi), with 14% vs 10% elongation.

In addition, it is important to consider that in small sections (thin sheets) material properties can be greatly overstated relative to thick sections, because the defects are oriented in the direction of the processing. Low carbon steel wire can be 150ksi, with great elongation, but the same material in thick sections is ~50ksi.

Seems promising, and not to be ignored, but not earth shattering. I would not invest my whole 401K in it.

Link to Army Lab Test:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...

In the book AS Rand refers to atmospheric electricity as a source of power for Galt's motor. This is a real phenomena and motors that use this source of energy have been built and they work. See "http://laserhacker.com/?cat=20".
In the movie AS1 Dagney notes that the motor employs the "Casimir Effect" which is also a very real phenomena and is a demonstration of the existence of "Vacuum Energy", which is very different from atmospheric electriity but just as real. So was AR prescient or did she know something that the rest of us will ultimately discover?

AJ...a point of interest? Gary Cola Posted in the Gulch three years ago. "Flash_TheBestMetalEver" posted: https://www.galtsgulchonline.com/post...

Anyone know the stock symbol for this company? I may want to put some money in. Does that make me a looter or a moocher?

Nice article! Thanks!

I like the sound of Rearden's Metal.

this is good, and very interesting. . I was in love with Astralloy,
a weldable high-strength-low-alloy steel, but this is a step ahead!!! -- j

p.s. the Astralloy story::: http://astralloy.com/files/history.html
.

So how do we find Hank Bain???
Bainite publically traded co. or LLC?