Iron, Steel and Other AlloysIron and Steel form the backbone of any economy. Various researches are being conducted, across the globe, to improve the mechanical and functional properties of steel. High-strength-low-alloy (HSLA) is one particular type of steel which provides better mechanical properties and better corrosion resistance than normal steel. Advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) are another kind of steel which are being developed, particularly for use in automobile industry. AHSS possess much higher strength, ductility as well as formability which make them ideal for automobile industry. Apart from steel, several non-ferrous alloys have also gained prominence in recent past, some of which are Aluminum alloys, Titanium alloys and more recently Magnesium alloys. Most of these alloys possess some properties which are superior to steel. E.g. Titanium alloys have better specific strength, however they are lot more expensive than steel. Aluminum alloys are corrosion resistant, however, their specific strength are not comparable to that of steel. Magnesium alloys have better specific strength and are not very expensive, but they are beset by low formability. Research at IIT Kanpur focuses on alloy development, process modeling as well as physical metallurgy of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, in order to improve properties and performance of the components fabricated from them. |
