New 'Super Steel' Can Outperform Titanium in Both Strength and Ductility

A new form of steel may be more lightweight and stronger than ever. Materials scientists have created a high-strength, low-density steel alloy that outperforms titanium in both strength and ductility.

Steel has been the workhorse of the automotive industry since the 1920s. Yet over time, its use has gradually decreased. This is because manufacturers have wanted to create lighter automobiles; when increasing aluminum content in steel to make it lighter, though, the material becomes more brittle and less flexible, which isn't all that desirable in the instance of a car crash.

Now, though, the researchers may have found a way to create a better form of steel. The new steel alloy improves on existing steel-aluminum alloying processes, according to Discovery. Because it retains its flexibility, it could be huge in terms of manufacturing processes.

In this case, the researchers essentially figured out how to separate bunched-up crystals inside the steel and spread them out so they'd be better protected from breakage, according to Newser.

"The balance of lightness, strength and ductility in metallic alloys has been explored since the Bronze Age," the research team writes in Nature. "There is increasing demand for a broad range of structural materials for environmentally benign, energy-efficient, lightweight engineering systems."

In fact, the "super steel" could be used in aircraft applications. Already, the steel giant POSCO is planning a trial using the steel on an industrial scale.

The findings are published in the journal Nature.

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