IFHTSE World Congress Keynote, Thomas L. Christiansen, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

IFHTSE World Congress Keynote
Thomas L. Christiansen
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

“Current Challenges and Future Opportunities within Heat Treatment of Steel”

Heat treatment of steel has been around for ages and has gone through significant developments over the years, although the basic concepts largely remain the same. This presentation will address selected topics within heat treatment, touching upon historical perspectives and focusing on current challenges and future opportunities. The topics selected for this presentation include:

Nitrogen steels
When we consider good-old “steels”, carbon is the key element that brings about the special properties (when heat treated). We are currently talking about “decarbonization of steel” with respect to environmental sustainability. Could we take this concept literally and substitute carbon with nitrogen? Assorted examples of the important use of nitrogen as an alternative to carbon will be addressed and new opportunities within heat treatment as well as thermochemical surface engineering will be discussed.

Additively manufactured “Damascus” steel
“Damascus” steel is the name for the ancient blades forged in Damascus from layered Wootz steel imported from India. These blades were renowned for their superior properties compared to European blades. It will be shown that it is possible to replicate the “Damascus” (or Wootz!) structure by using metal additive manufacturing and heat treatment. This entails such concepts as quench & partitioning and sub-zero treatment.

Quenching
Quenching is an inherent part of heat treating and is extremely important for the properties and performance of the treated components. The way quenching is performed dictates the stress profile in the part and is highly linked to dimensional stability. High pressure gas quenching, which is becoming increasingly popular, and intensive quenching (IQ) will be discussed. IQ is perhaps ripe for a “renaissance” as this method potentially can compete with carburizing for developing compressive residual surface stresses.

Keynote Sessions | IMAT-2024 (asminternational.org)