Where is the development path of metal materials?
As the cornerstone of modern industry, metal materials play a vital role in driving global scientific and technological progress and economic development. From traditional steel and nonferrous metals to the continuously emerging high-end new metal materials, their development history bears witness to humanity’s continuous exploration and innovation in the materials field. With the changing times, the global metal materials industry has embraced numerous new opportunities while also facing various challenges. A thorough understanding of its current development and its future direction are crucial for countries to gain a dominant position in related fields.
I. Overview of Global Metal Materials Development
(I) Current Status of International Metal Materials Development
Today, the materials field is developing rapidly, with new materials emerging in an endless stream. Currently, there are 500,000 materials in the world, and the number of new materials is increasing at an annual rate of approximately 5%. There are over 8 million synthetic compounds worldwide, with an additional 250,000 being added annually. A significant number of these have the potential to become new materials. New materials rank first in terms of output value among emerging technologies. For example, in 2000, the combined global market turnover of 12 emerging technologies reached $1 trillion, of which new materials accounted for 40%.
1. Steel
As the world’s largest metal industry and second-largest man-made materials industry, the steel industry produces 750 million tons annually, second only to cement’s 1.1 billion tons. As a structural material, steel products are widely used in society and will continue to dominate many sectors, both now and for a long time to come. The mainstream technological progress in the global steel industry is towards shortening processes, reducing steps, lowering energy consumption, reducing costs, improving quality, and increasing efficiency—in other words, moving from extensive to intensive production. Current developments in steel technology primarily involve new steelmaking technologies, the development of new steel production processes, continuous casting and rolling technologies for steel materials, new steel energy utilization technologies, rolling technologies, the improvement of the quality and functionality of cold-rolled products, and the application of computer systems in the steel industry. For example, in the area of steel used in offshore engineering equipment, overseas development has been ongoing, resulting in more mature products and several notable characteristics. First, standardization and specialization. For example, Japan’s JFE Corporation has developed its own series of corporate standards for offshore platform steel plates, including the JFE-HITEN series of high-strength steel plates, the JFE-HITEN series of excellent weldability and high-heat input weldable steel plates, low-temperature steel plates, and seawater corrosion-resistant steel plates. The United States also has API 2W and 2Y standards for offshore platform steel, which specify specific requirements for steel plates, such as low-temperature performance, strain aging, and surface quality. Second, large specifications and high strength are key features. Currently, JFE’s offshore platform steel boasts a tensile strength of 360-980 MPa, and it can produce extra-thick plates up to 125-150 mm thick. Third, specialized performance characteristics are key features.
2. High-temperature alloy materials
The research and development and production of high-temperature alloy materials have been significantly impacted by user technological advancements and shifting business models, resulting in significant progress. The demands for improved thrust-to-weight ratios, enhanced safety, and economical performance in aviation engines, increased supersonic speeds for spacecraft, and high-pressure technologies for reducing fuel consumption and emissions in automotive engines are driving the development of new materials such as powder superalloys, single-crystal superalloys, and intermetallic compounds. This has also prompted R&D and industry sectors to prioritize material engineering research to accelerate the transition of these new materials into industrialized, stable production. At the same time, competitive pressure is driving engine users to improve fuel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption (trending toward an average annual reduction of 1%). This is primarily achieved through improvements in aerodynamic efficiency, combustion chamber design, and thermodynamic efficiency gains resulting from increased material operating temperatures. Dual-performance/dual-structure turbine disks, better suited to their operating characteristics, will become the inevitable choice for high-thrust aircraft engines. Third-generation single-crystal superalloy high-pressure turbine blades, capable of operating temperatures up to 1100°C, and titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound low-pressure turbine blades, with a density of only 4.0 g/cm³, are crucial materials for improving turbine efficiency.
3. Non-ferrous Metals
Developed countries worldwide attach great importance to the research, development, and industrialization of non-ferrous metals, particularly advanced lightweight alloys. However, with the rise of manufacturing in developing countries, the production and processing of low-end nonferrous metal materials is gradually shifting to these countries. However, developed countries such as Japan, the United States, Germany, and Russia maintain their technological and capital advantages in the field of new nonferrous metal materials, and maintain a monopoly in certain high-performance nonferrous structural and functional materials relevant to high-tech industries.
World-leading companies such as Arconic, Novelis, and Hydro dominate the research and production of high-strength and high-toughness aluminum alloys, and are the primary suppliers of lightweight, high-strength materials to the aerospace, transportation, and other sectors. Global titanium processing companies, through mergers and acquisitions, have formed a three-way competition among the United States, Japan, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The three major American titanium manufacturers, Timet, RMI, and Alleghen Teledyne, account for 90% of all titanium processing in the United States and are the world’s leading suppliers of aviation-grade titanium. Companies such as Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings and Furukawa Electric in Japan, and Olin in the United States, dominate the global market for high-strength and high-conductivity copper alloys, leveraging their technological leadership to secure high profits and competitive advantages. (II) Current Status of Domestic Metal Materials Development
With the rapid growth of the national economy, industrialization, and urbanization driving robust demand for steel and nonferrous metals, my country’s metal materials industry has achieved unprecedented scale expansion, while also significantly improving product quality.
1. Steel Materials
Currently, my country’s self-sufficiency rate for all but a few major steel categories has reached 100%. The output of key steel products (such as automotive steel, pipeline steel, silicon steel, and shipbuilding plates) has increased significantly. Eighteen of the 22 major steel categories have a domestic market share exceeding 95%. Furthermore, some steel products (such as plates and pipes) have entered the markets of developed steel-producing countries and regions such as the United States, Japan, Western Europe, and South Korea. This demonstrates that my country’s steel industry not only largely meets the needs of various steel-using sectors in terms of product quality, but also meets the requirements of users in developed countries for some products.
Where is the future of metal materials development? Examining the current situation, analyzing the challenges, and formulating solutions!
Where is the future of metal materials development? Examining the Current Situation, Analyzing the Challenges, and Proposing Solutions!
my country has made rapid progress in high-quality specialty steel materials in recent years, ranking first globally in the production of stainless steel, bearing steel, gear steel, mold steel, and high-speed steel. These steels provide crucial raw materials for my country’s defense industry and national economic development. However, there remains a gap between China’s overall development level and product quality compared to advanced countries. For example, steel usage in different application areas is as follows:
Advanced Energy Steel: my country already has mass production capabilities for wide and thick plates for wind turbines and high-grade Φ80 mm wind turbine bearing steel (GCr15SiMn). Yaw bearing assemblies and blade main shaft bearing assemblies are under development. Our domestically produced 600 MPa-grade pressure steel pipes meet operational requirements, and 800 MPa-grade pressure steel pipes are currently undergoing upgrade development. China has mastered the production technology for large stainless steel castings and forgings used in hydropower and nuclear power equipment, transforming the country’s dependence on imports.
Modern Transportation Steel: This encompasses high-speed rail steel and automotive steel. my country’s independently developed microalloyed wheel steel has been successfully used in trains traveling at 200 km/h, and wheel steel for speeds exceeding 200 km/h is under development. High-end axle steel S38C is in the industrial testing phase. High-end bearing steel GCr18Mo can be produced domestically. Research has achieved significant breakthroughs in high-speed rail spring steel, with the potential for domestic production. my country’s high-speed rail rail production capacity is already the world’s largest, and its quality is also at the world’s advanced level. Regarding automotive steel, both first-generation automotive steel with a strength-to-ductility ratio of 20 GPa% and second-generation automotive steel with a strength-to-ductility ratio of 60 GPa% are now domestically produced. Research and development of third-generation high-performance automotive high-strength steel with a strength-to-ductility ratio of 30-40 GPa% is approaching the world’s advanced level. Marine Steel: Offshore platform steel with a yield strength below 355 MPa is essentially domestically produced, accounting for 90% of the total steel used in offshore platforms. Submarine pipeline steel grades X65, X70, and X80, as well as thick-walled marine oil and gas welded pipes, are all domestically produced. Medium and heavy plates for chemical tankers are also domestically produced, and the independently developed 2205 duplex stainless steel has been successfully used on chemical tankers. 9% Ni steel for liquefied natural gas tankers and 12Ni19 steel for liquefied ethylene storage tanks are now in mass production.
Aerospace Steel: Most aerospace steel is domestically produced, but structural steel for components such as bearings, connecting bolts, and landing gear in large passenger aircraft still needs to be imported. Special steels for high-thrust-to-rocket system casings, power connectors, and satellite or rocket release straps, as well as high-quality special steels for various space environment facilities, require further development.
2. High-Temperature Alloy Materials
After over 60 years of development, my country’s high-temperature alloy industry has made significant progress in aerospace engines. In the field of wrought superalloys, by imitating Inconel 718 alloy and combining it with my country’s national conditions and production equipment, the domestically produced GH4169 alloy grade and corresponding technical specifications and standards have been developed, essentially meeting the demand for GH4169 alloy in my country’s aerospace sector. In the field of cast superalloys, single-crystal alloys are primarily based on imitation. The first and second generations of single-crystal alloys have been developed and are gradually moving towards engineering applications. The third and fourth generations of single-crystal alloys are in the development stage, essentially meeting the urgent needs of my country’s advanced aircraft engine development. In the field of powder superalloys, current domestic research focuses on the application of the first three generations of powder superalloys, while the development of the fourth generation is still in the exploratory stage.
3. High-Performance Nonferrous Metal Structural Materials
my country has become a major producer and consumer of nonferrous metal materials worldwide, having ranked first in global production for over a decade. Through a combination of imported and digested technologies and independent manufacturing, my country’s nonferrous metals industry has achieved world-class equipment standards. China leads the world in both the scale and overall number of large-scale smelting and electrolysis equipment, continuous rolling and casting equipment, and extrusion, rolling, and forging equipment. China has also secured a number of world-leading independent intellectual property rights in the field of new materials and their preparation and processing, conferring significant industrial and technological advantages.
For example, my country has made breakthroughs in the research and engineering preparation of a new generation of high-strength, high-toughness, and high-hardenability aviation aluminum alloys, as well as successful research and development of large-scale specialty aluminum alloy profiles and their extrusion dies. New materials technologies, such as copper strip and tube casting technology and copper-aluminum composite technology, have been successfully developed, each with independent intellectual property rights. Significant progress has been made in the development and production of large titanium alloy ingots and forgings, with products entering the international market. Breakthroughs have been achieved in the research and development of key technologies for the industrialization of a new generation of high-strength, high-conductivity copper alloys and copper strip for electronic lead frames, enabling a 10,000-ton industrial scale.
Where is the future of metal materials? Examine the current situation, analyze the challenges, and devise solutions!
Where is the future of metal materials? Examine the current situation, analyze the challenges, and devise solutions! However, my country’s core technologies and intellectual property rights for new nonferrous metal materials are still relatively backward, and the country has long been stuck in a state of technological follow-up. A comprehensive and distinctive alloy grade system has yet to be established. New materials and heat treatment systems with independent intellectual property rights and international registrations are also relatively rare. In the development and application of new materials, a mix of Chinese, American, Russian, and European alloys is used. This has hindered the effective translation of significant market and scale advantages into technological advantages.
II. Development Trends of High-End New Metal Materials
Classification and Characteristics of High-End New Metal Materials:
High-end new metal materials are a key development direction for the global new materials industry and are essential key structural materials for high-end equipment in energy, marine, and transportation sectors. Based on their functions and application areas, new metal materials can be divided into high-performance metal structural materials and metal functional materials.
Compared to traditional structural materials, high-performance metal structural materials exhibit enhanced high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and ductility. These materials primarily include titanium, magnesium, zirconium, and their alloys, tantalum, niobium, hard materials, high-end special steels, and new aluminum profiles. For example, titanium alloys play a crucial role in the development of both military and civilian aviation. Their multiphase, nanoscale, layered microstructure significantly impacts the properties of high-strength Ti-based alloys and is a key factor in the design of new Ti-based alloys. Magnesium alloys are the lightest engineering structural materials. Their excellent thermal conductivity, vibration damping, recyclability, electromagnetic interference resistance, and superior shielding properties have earned them acclaim as new “green engineering materials” and the “metal of the 21st century,” finding widespread application in numerous fields.
Metallic functional materials, which assist in achieving optical, electrical, magnetic, or other specialized functions, include magnetic materials, metallic energy materials, catalytic purification materials, information materials, superconducting materials, and functional ceramics. Rare earth elements, a relatively unique class of materials, possess exceptional optical, electrical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Their application in emerging fields has grown rapidly in recent years, with permanent magnets being a crucial component of rare earth applications. In 2009, permanent magnets accounted for 57% of total rare earth new material consumption. Driven by national policies on emerging industries, new energy vehicles, wind power generation, energy-saving home appliances, and other sectors will drive explosive growth in demand for rare earth permanent magnets, such as neodymium iron boron magnets.
Global trends in new materials development indicate that the production of steel and nonferrous metals is moving toward shorter processes, higher efficiency, energy conservation and consumption reduction, clean production, higher performance, and greater multifunctionality. For example, in structural materials, whose primary function is to bear loads (e.g., in trains, cars, and airplanes), automotive steel has evolved in recent years from conventional steel to high-strength alloy steels, aluminum alloys, or specialized high-strength magnesium-based alloys. High-strength titanium alloys play a key role in high-strength steel, while stainless steel is poised to replace carbon steel. Al alloys and conventional steel used in military aircraft are also gradually being replaced by advanced titanium alloys and polymer-based composites. Further development of carbon fiber-reinforced composites and aluminum-based composites is also needed. Development Status and Restrictions of Some Key High-End Metal Materials:
With the rapid advancement of science and technology in China, developed countries, driven by their own interests, have gradually imposed technological blockades and restrictions on China. This has resulted in export restrictions on high-end metal materials in some high-tech fields, posing challenges to the development of related industries in my country. The following are some typical examples of restricted high-end metal materials:
1. Tungsten Alloys
Tungsten alloys are alloys composed of tungsten as a base and other elements. Tungsten is silvery-white in color and has a melting point of 3400°C, making it the metal with the highest melting point. Its density is comparable to that of gold and 2.5 times that of steel. In addition to being widely used in the manufacture of cemented carbide and as an alloying additive, it is also widely used in the electronics and electric lighting industries, as well as in aerospace, foundry, and other sectors.
China has abundant tungsten reserves, with domestically proven reserves accounting for over 60%, and the majority of the global tungsten supply comes from China. However, the deep processing and technological innovation capabilities of Chinese tungsten companies lag significantly behind those of large international tungsten companies. Cemented carbide products are primarily mid- and low-end, and most are sintered products. High-tech, high-value-added tungsten products, such as high-performance, high-precision, high-end cemented carbide CNC inserts, are still in high demand.
