B. Tufts, C. J. Kuehmann, QuesTek Innovations LLC, Evanston, IL; P. Trester, General Atomics, San Diego, CA
QuesTek Innovations’ Ferrium® S53 alloy is being qualified for use in US Air Force landing gear systems. Ferrium S53 is a martensitic, carbide-strengthened, secondary-hardened corrosion resistant steel developed to serve as a drop-in replacement for 300M steel. A full MMPDS dataset, generated from 10 production melts of the new material, will be presented. Fatigue testing at a number of orientations, stress levels, and R-ratios has generated fatigue curves that compare favorably to the incumbent material 300M. Stress corrosion cracking testing has shown performance equivalent to PH15-5. Expected design minimums on mechanical properties will be outlined as well as recommended processing procedures for forging, machining, heat-treatment, and finishing operations. The contents of the draft AMS specification will be presented and current commercialization efforts will be outlined. Although S53 was developed as a drop-in replacement for 300M in landing gear systems, many additional applications are anticipated for this 290ksi UTS corrosion resistant steel.
Summary: QuesTek Innovations’ Ferrium® S53 alloy is being qualified for use in US Air Force landing gear systems. Ferrium S53 is a martensitic, carbide-strengthened, secondary-hardened corrosion resistant steel developed to serve as a drop-in replacement for 300M steel. A full MMPDS dataset, generated from 10 production melts of the new material, will be presented. Fatigue testing at a number of orientations, stress levels, and R-ratios has generated fatigue curves that compare favorably to the incumbent material 300M. Stress corrosion cracking testing has shown performance equivalent to PH15-5. Expected design minimums on mechanical properties will be outlined as well as recommended processing procedures for forging, machining, heat-treatment, and finishing operations. The contents of the draft AMS specification will be presented and current commercialization efforts will be outlined. Although S53 was developed as a drop-in replacement for 300M in landing gear systems, many additional applications are anticipated for this 290ksi UTS corrosion resistant steel.
