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June 09, 2004 09:57 AM Eastern Time
Swagelok Company Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Funding for Materials Research
Research team includes Swagelok Company, Case Western Reserve University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Swagelok Company, Case Western Reserve University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are teaming up for a research project that is funded, in part, by 1.5 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Energy. The research aims to evaluate the applicability of Swagelok's patented surface hardening process to a broader range of corrosion-resistant steels to reduce energy consumption in a host of manufacturing industries.
The objective of the research is to lead to greatly reduced wear, fatigue, and corrosion of stainless steels to increase efficiencies in a wide range of commercial components, such as bearings and pumps used in chemical and petroleum industries.
"Industrial use of more corrosion-resistant pumps in the future could save nearly 100 billion kilowatts per year of electric energy," said Arthur Heuer, University Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Case. "If we consider that the average annual residential energy use in the U.S. is about 3000 kilowatt-hours for each person, it becomes apparent how much energy could be saved when this new material reaches the commercial market."
Swagelok will apply its patented surface hardening process to components made from a variety of commonly used industrial austenitic stainless steel alloys. ORNL will test the wear and corrosion resistance of the Swagelok treated steels and specialty alloys, and Case will perform thermodynamic analysis of the process and characterize the properties of the steel. Other research participants include Spirax Sarco, who will provide components for treatment and testing, and Energy Industries of Ohio, who will promote the technical progress, testing of coupons, and prototype component testing.
"This process opens up a whole new branch of metallurgical investigation," Heuer said. Early results show that treated components are two to three times as hard as the untreated material. Another advantage is that the hardening process is performed at relatively low temperatures, so it can be applied to finished products without causing distortion and can help improve wear and corrosion resistance. "The research team believes the prospects are extraordinarily favorable that this process can be used for other components and other stainless steel compositions," said Sunniva Collins, Ph.D., Manager, Metallurgy and Surface Science, Swagelok Company.
"Research teams from Swagelok Company and Case Western Reserve University have been working together with great success for several years, and we are proud to be a part of this collaborative effort that is bringing important research and funding to the Greater Cleveland area," said Art Anton, President and CEO, Swagelok Company.
Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, U.S.A., Swagelok Company is a major developer and manufacturer of fluid system component technology for the research, instrumentation, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power, petrochemical, and semiconductor industries. Swagelok products are delivered through one of the world's largest manufacturing and industrial distribution networks. More than 30 Swagelok manufacturing, research, technical support, and distribution facilities support a global network of over 200 independent, sales and service centers on 6 continents. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.swagelok.com.
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Sciences. www.case.edu.
The research was supported, in part, by a Department of Energy (DOE) award (DE-FC36-04GO14045 Low Temperature Carburization of Stainless Steels); such support does not constitute an endorsement by DOE of the views expressed in the article.
Contacts
Swagelok Company
Janice Drost, 440-349-5934
janice.drost@swagelok.com
OR
Case Western Reserve University
Arthur Heuer, 216-368-3686
heuer@cwru.edu |
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