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R&D Management

Development of a new family of cast tool steels

The aim of the project was to develop new, affordable materials for prototype or short run production dies made by near net shape casting process. Primary task was focused on the development of a new family of Fe-Cr-C-B (iron-chromium-carbon-boron based alloys) cast tool steels that are wear and thermal shock resistant. Work resulted in:

• Determining selected properties of the alloys and describing them as a function of nominal chemical composition and heat treatment. This was done through developing relevant statistical models for such properties as hardness, thermal expansion coefficients, oxidation resistance, thermal shock resistance, volume fraction o precipitates and magnetic holding forces.

• Development of design guidelines for predicting the chemical composition of the alloy’s matrix and amount / type of precipitates based on nominal chemical composition.

• Australian Patent Application No. PM5930, 30 May 1994, “Iron-chromium-boron alloy for glass manufacturing tools”.

• US Patent Application No. PCT/AU95/00312, 29 May 1995, “Iron-chromium-boron alloy for glass manufacturing tools”.

Project’s statistics:

• Duration - 1992-1995
• Participants - sponsored by Commonwealth AusIndustry program, involved three Australian companies, and CSIRO and the University of Queensland as research providers.
• Cost - $600,000