Design of new economic secondary precipitating steels for fatigue resistance at elevated service temperatures (SteelSeco)

The aim of this project is to investigate the microstructure evolution due to tempering of nanobainitic steels and their properties including fatigue properties at elevated service temperatures up to 250°C. Furthermore this project will be the first attempt to evaluate the potential of a new class of steel combining nanostructured bainitic steels with secondary precipitation. This entirely novel approach may indeed lead to a material that combines the excellent and increasingly well-known performances of nanostructured bainitic materials, with an improved potential for use at elevated temperatures. Intrinsic tempering resistance of nanostructured bainitic microstructure will be enhanced by adding secondary precipitating elements to create a new class of steel material with expected exceptional properties for service at moderate temperatures. Indeed, it is hoped that this yet untested combination will lead to an economical yet very high performance material for use at elevated temperatures. In comparison with nanostructured bainitic microstructure also steels with conventional QT matrix will be investigated.