An inexpensive new process can increase the strength of metals such as steel by as much as 10 times, and make them much more resistant to corrosion. If the modified metals pass field testing, the new process could go on to make bridges and other infrastructure last far longer; it could also make cars lighter and therefore more fuel-efficient.
The Seattle-based startup that developed the process, Modumetal, is commercializing it in part with collaboration with the oil companies Chevron, Conoco-Philips, and Hess.
Parts made using the technology are being tested in oil fields now. Some oil contains highly corrosive chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide that quickly damage production equipment. The new technology could make those parts last much longer and thus lower the cost of pursuing unconventional sources of oil. That could be just the first of a wide range of applications.
The advance is based on the fact that controlling the structure of metals at the nanoscale can imbue those materials with new properties. This has been possible for some time, but it’s been difficult to do reliably and economically with large pieces of metal. Modumetal has developed a process that gives it precise control over the structure of metals, and which allows it to make parts that are meters long. CEO Christina Lomasney says the process costs the same as conventional metal treatments such as galvanization.
link.
No comments:
Post a Comment