Electrical steels sit at the heart of motors, generators, and transformers — equipment that together uses about half of the world’s electricity. Today’s grades contain about 3 wt.% silicon. Decades of research suggest that using 6.5 wt.% silicon would reduce energy losses, allowing the same devices to operate on a few percent less electricity. The obstacle is brittleness above 3 wt.% Si, which makes conventional machining impractical.
This project pursues two practical routes past that barrier:
(1) Targeted alloying: can small additions of an extra element suppress brittleness without harming performance?
(2) Process design: can production routes compatible with standard steelmaking avoid cold machining of brittle stock?
We will evaluate both scenarios using Mössbauer spectroscopy, advanced microscopy, ab initio quantum simulations, and hot‑torsion tests that mimic industrial processing. Our goal is energy‑saving electrical steels that fit seamlessly into existing manufacturing.
Fun task: recognize this story in the logo of our project.
