AMP_06_September_2021

FEATURE A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 4 0 2 IS FERROUS METALLURGY REALLY DEAD? Before I sharemy thoughts/opin- ions on the subject of ferrous metal- lurgy and heat treatment, I believe you, the reader, need to know that I do have a bias and am not ashamed to admit: I am a ferrous metallurgist who specializes in providing salt bath heat treating solutions. Consequent- ly, it should not be shocking that I view both classic ferrous metallur- gy along with heat treatment as exciting disciplines with limitless career opportunities. Frankly, my issues are with those who disagree. I completed both my undergraduate and graduate studies in metallurgical engineering at Michigan Techno- logical University (MTU) in the mid-1980s into the early 1990s. When I started, MTU had one of the largest under- graduate metallurgy programs in the country. By the time I was finishing my post-doctoral studies, the size of the program had shrunk. What precipitated this change in en- rollment? Was this event one of the driving forces for the “metallurgy is dead” perspective? In 1973, domestic steel production in the U.S. had peaked at 111.4 million tons. A decade later it had declined to 70 million tons. I remember being told as I was finishing my undergraduate studies that the heyday of the ferrous metallurgists had come and gone along with big steel. The U.S. was transitioning into a service economy and, thus, the need for metallurgists, especially ferrous, would con- tinue to decline. At the same time, the names of depart- ments in universities started to change; first to Metallurgi- cal and Materials Engineering and ultimately transitioning to Materials Science and Engineering. While all of my de- grees cite “metallurgical engineering,” all degrees issued since 2000 from MTU have been for “materials science and engineering,” which mirrors a general trend at other engi- neering institutions. As the interest in steel was perceived to be declining in themid-1980s, a newmaterial was gaining interest in the metal casting industry—austempered ductile iron (ADI). This material has remarkable combinations of strength, ductility, toughness, and wear resistance compared to conventional ductile iron. But its growth was stunted for several reasons which included: a lack of understanding of the base iron requirements to successfully produce the material, no international material standards from which to specify the material, and a general perception that cast iron is a low-tech material riddled with porosity. GUEST DITORIAL Furthermore, the metal casting industry was reput- ed to consist of dark and unsafe facilities that didn’t offer opportunities for a young engineer entering the industry. And lest we forget, what about heat treating facilities that most certainly were so smoky that one would be unable to breathe inside them? Thus, if someone sold you the bill of goods described in the preceding paragraphs, would you want to be a ferrous metallurgist and least of all, one who wanted to heat treat these materials? If anything, the ferrous metallurgy world got com- placent and didn’t do a very good job of writing its own story. Rather, it let owners of competing materials and/or processes create a narrative that the ferrous industry will continue to fight for many years to come. If I were writing the story, the following information would be just a few of the topics that I would highlight: • The disruptions to big steel in the 1970s and 1980s led to the development of new families of advanced high- strength steels. Higher strengths have allowed for the development of thinner sections and, consequently, reductions in component weight. • Both steel and cast iron producers are some of the world’s best recyclers. According to AISI, each year, more steel is recycled than paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass combined. • Austempered ductile iron is codified by international standards organizations and specified for application in the automotive, heavy truck, railroad, agricultural, and general manufacturing sectors. It has comparable or higher strength per mass than many grades of steel, aluminum, and titanium. • Advances in heat treatment continue as new furnace designs develop and process controls improve. So why am I so passionate about ferrous metallurgy? None of the above could or would happen without the con- tributions of ferrous metallurgists. As our world changes, the opportunities grow, not shrink. If I had listened to the advice I was given during my college years, I would have missed out on a great and fulfilling career path. Kathy Hayrynen, FASM Vice President of R&D, Applied Process Companies, Aalberts Surface Technologies North America Hayrynen will deliver a keynote presentation, “Ferrous met- allurgy and heat treatment are NOT dead!” at Heat Treat 21 in St. Louis on September 15. Hayrynen