Chinese scientists have found a way to overcome metal fatigue in a process that transforms common stainless steel into a material strong enough for aerospace and other high-grade applications, according to a study in the peer-reviewed journal Science.
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The team, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Metal Research, were able to alter the steel’s internal structure by twisting it – like a towel – to make it stronger and more resilient, the paper said.
The modification not only more than doubled the material’s yield strength, it also increased its resistance to the accumulated damage of metal fatigue by a factor of up to 10,000, according to the study which was published on April 4.
Potential applications may include undersea pipelines and engine components such as crankshafts and connecting rods that are exposed to pressure. The breakthrough could also offer technological support to high-end equipment manufacturing and engineering sectors.
In an interview with state broadcaster CCTV, research team leader Professor Lu Lei said that there was no visible change to the material’s surface before and after processing, but “its internal structure [had] transformed”.
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“The skeletal structure is just one three-hundredth the diameter of a human hair, but it plays a significant role when bearing pressure,” she said.