Stress corrosion cracking is an insidious form of damage that can occur when a susceptible metal is subjected to a tensile stress in a specific environment. To relieve tensile stresses at welded joints, postweld heat treatment can be helpful in reducing the susceptibility of carbon steel fabrications to SCC. When planning to use stainless steels in chloride-containing environments, it is advisable to select alloys that have been specifically developed to resist stress chloride cracking such as ferritic-austenitic (duplex) alloys, low-carbon ferritic alloys, and 6% Mo austenitic alloys or to select high-nickel alloys.

Affordable bulk production of a newly developed nanostructured bainitic steel is possible without using severe deformation or complex heat treatments. This article discusses the characteristics and significance of nanostructured bainite in terms of the transformation mechanism.

Understanding the forces behind decarburization is the first step toward minimizing its detrimental effects. This article reviews decarburization basics and results of experimental work on spring steels.

One of the greatest advances in modern metallurgy was the discovery of a steel that does not rust, which occurred after research into high chromium steels began. French researchers began adding chromium or nickel to heat treated alloy steels during the 1880s and 1890s, while German researchers began combining chromium with nickel in the 1890s. This article recounts the early history of stainless steel.

Metallographic examination and optical emission spectroscopy shed light on the origin of a lampshade found in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The steels used for the ring and wire in the frame are typical of those made prior to WWII and the fabrication processes appear to be of a similar timeframe. Tassels on the lampshade were determined to be a more recent alteration and the fabric was found to be cow skin parchment based on DNA testing.

Atomic force microscopy studies show that sharp yield points in steels are explained by the existence of hard grain boundary walls, contrary to current accepted theories.

Induction hardening parts with small grain size achieves higher fracture strengths, but close control of thermal cycles is required to prevent grain growth.

From wartime use to cutlery and building facades, the stainless steel industry began to experience dynamic growth from the 1920s on, especially following World War II.

Significant advancements in metallurgy were highlighted at a special symposium presented at the Materials Science & Technology 2016 conference in Salt Lake City. This article summarizes the topics presented. All six speakers shared examples of the importance of understanding how the specific manufacturing process affects microstructure development in metals. The fundamental understanding of microstructure allows metallurgists to select manufacturing processes and schedules to tailor the microstructure, and therefore mechanical properties and performance, for a particular component.

Automotive designers and heat treaters have many choices when it comes to the materials and processes that will meet their overall needs. This article reviews some of the major trends affecting automotive heat treating.

Annealing and normalizing both involve heating metal to a temperature and cooling back to room temperature and are differentiated by the metals involved and rate of cooling. This article is an overview of annealing and normalizing processes.

This article describes research leading to the development of a new grade of low temperature bainitic steels, named Kinetically Activated Bainite (KAB) steels. with exceptionally rapid transformation kinetics at temperatures below 200°C. This entry won the Jacquet-Lucas Award for Best in Show at the 2015 International Metallographic Contest.

Proper specification, measurement, and control of annealing furnace atmospheres are critical to reduce sooting, oxidation, sticking, and distortion. This article describes how to effectively design and utilize a nitrogen-hydrogen annealing atmosphere.

A novel approach in the field of narrow gap laser welding produces superior weld joint quality, especially the configuration of weld toe, which has a positive effect on fatigue life.

Low-temperature surface hardening of stainless steel by means of gaseous processing provides a high degree of tailorability of the hard surface case without affecting corrosion resistance. This article covers the fundamental and technological aspects of the process and examines the effect of different LTSH treatments on 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steel.

Flash processing, a new heat treatment for steels based on the concept of rapid thermal cycling, has been shown to achieve new levels of strength and ductility. This article describes the process, its effects on microstructure, and the phase transformations involved. It also discusses current and potential future applications.

The corrosion of structural materials and control of coolant chemistry are key factors that impact the lifetime of nuclear reactors and the development of future reactors. This article reviews corrosion issues in four reactor concepts that use vastly different coolant types: light water reactors, lead fast reactors, high temperature gas-cooled reactors, and fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors.

Given the demonstrated antimicrobial properties of copper, it is incumbent upon materials scientists to design potent antimicrobial copper-containing stainless steels as an economical option.

The 10th Liège Conference on Materials for Advanced Power Engineering was held in September 2014. This article presents conference highlights, including the current state of European materials research for advanced power engineering applications; European multinational programs in this area; and critical research topics including creep-fatigue, new alloy development, and materials developments for gas turbines.

A look at processing and production of iron during the Iron Age, 1200 to 500 B.C., including early unintentional forms of steel.