On the Road Since 1936
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STAINLESS STEEL CAR Built to last, but not very fuel efficient by today's standards.
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Nickel magazine, February 2003 -- Most years, Allegheny Ludlum displays an unusual
car in its booth at the annual NACE International conference in the United States. This model (six of which
were built by Allegheny and Ford in 1936) is made entirely of nickel stainless steel and has been dubbed "the
cars that wouldn't wear out."
In terms of fuel use, however, the car is inefficient by today's standards. What it demonstrates is not low weight, but the durability of stainless steel. But that's not to say nickel stainless steel will never be used to build fuel-efficient cars.
In today's world, the impact the transport industry has on the natural environment is directly related to the amount of energy required to move people and goods using available technology. More specifically, the amount of fossil fuels consumed per person-kilometre or per tonne-kilometre of goods being moved is directly proportional to the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and the amount of non-renewable fossil fuel resources that is depleted.
To achieve the greatest reduction in these environmental impacts, transportation engineers strive to improve the fuel efficiency of their creations. One of the simplest ways to do so is to reduce the weight of airplanes, cars, trucks, trains and ships without compromising safety (that is, crashworthiness). One story in this issue refers to efforts to reduce the weight of the new, 555-passenger Airbus A380 by using composite materials (more >> ), while another discusses how the weight of other transportation vehicles can be reduced by employing a new hybrid stainless steel material invented by Volvo (more >> ). Both technologies require nickel-containing alloys.
There is another, less-explored way for engineers to reduce the environmental "footprint" of the transportation industry. It requires that they select materials that have the lowest possible impact on the natural environment as a result of the production of a final product from raw materials. The method for getting a handle on this is known as life-cycle assessment, and is an important consideration in the construction of transportation infrastructure.
Take concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) as an example. More than five years ago, some innovative engineers started specifying stainless steel rebar in concrete structures such as highway bridges and marine piers. Using stainless steel in these applications means that the rebar exposed to chlorides does not corrode; therefore it does not impair the structural integrity of a concrete structure, which is what would happen if carbon steel rebar were used. As a result, concrete bridges last much longer and do not need to be repaired as often. Simply put, less material is needed, and so the environmental impact associated with the end product is greatly reduced. In recent years, an increasing number of structures have been constructed using stainless steel rebar. One such application is discussed here.
Safety also plays an important role in materials selection, as is illustrated by another transportation-related article available here. It describes the rehabilitation of an important transportation link between Italy and France - the Mont Blanc tunnel. Nickel stainless steels were used extensively to improve the safety systems in the tunnel following a fatal fire in 1999.
If you happen to be in San Diego, California, for the annual NACE conference in March, drop by the Allegheny Ludlum booth to see the car that wouldn't wear out. And come visit us at booth 1212 while you're at it. We'd be happy to discuss these and any other nickel-related issues with you.
pwhiteway@nidi.org
Editor
Photo: ALLEGHENY LUDLUM
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