Manganese effect on room and cryogenic temperature impact toughness of thermomechanical processed Fe-Mn binary alloys and commercial 9wt% Nickel alloy

¹ Advanced Materials Division, MINTEK, Private bag X 3015, Randburg, 2125, South Africa
² University of Witwatersrand, Faculty of Engineering, School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract

High FeMn-based alloys are explored worldwide for lightweighting in the energy, automotive and marine industries. Their desirable properties like lower density, high toughness and tensile strength, make them preferred candidates to consider for such applications. In the energy sector, this type of structural material has the potential to be used in the construction of storage and transportation tanks for liquified natural gas (LNG). LNG has been identified as one of the alternative energy sources to ease pressure on the already strained supply. The high cost and complexity of producing current alloys used in LNG storage, such as 9 wt.% Ni alloy prompted the need to explore high FeMn-based alloys. In this study, binary FeMn-based alloys produced via casting are explored. They were hot rolled and heat treated to compare their properties to those of 9 wt.% Nickel alloy. Preliminary properties measured at both room and cryogenic temperatures revealed that impact toughness increased with increasing Mn content.