Lu Qi, Lai Qingquan, Chai Zhisong, Wei Xiaolu, Xiong Xiaochuan, Yi Hongliang, Huang Mingxin, Xu Wei, Wang Jianfeng
China Science Laboratory, General Motors Global Research and Development, Shanghai, China.
State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.
Sci Adv. 2021 Dec 3;7(49):eabk0176. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abk0176.
Numerous high-performance steels with various compositions and mechanical properties were developed to enable a safe and light-weight automotive body-in-white (BIW). However, this multisteel scheme creates substantial challenges, including the resistance spot welding of dissimilar steels, processing optimization, and recycling. Here, we propose a revolutionary unified steel (UniSteel) concept, i.e., using a single chemistry to produce multiple steel grades for the entire BIW. The tensile strengths of various UniSteel grades are ranging from 600 to 1680 MPa, encompassing the strengths of typical commercial counterparts while exhibiting competent ductility. The prototype parts made of UniSteel press-hardened steel (PHS) grade demonstrate superior side-intrusion resistance over the commercial PHS, and the satisfactory weldability is verified. The UniSteel reduces the resistivity difference within the sheet stack-ups, allowing the simplification of welding processes. The UniSteel concept could potentially revolutionize the manufacturing of BIW for the global automotive industry and contribute to carbon neutrality.
为了实现安全且轻量化的汽车白车身（BIW），人们开发了许多具有不同成分和机械性能的高性能钢。然而，这种多钢种方案带来了诸多重大挑战，包括异种钢的电阻点焊、工艺优化和回收利用。在此，我们提出一种革命性的统一钢（UniSteel）概念，即使用单一化学成分来生产用于整个白车身的多种钢种。各种统一钢种的抗拉强度范围为600至1680兆帕，涵盖了典型商用钢种的强度，同时展现出良好的延展性。由统一钢热冲压硬化钢（PHS）等级制成的原型部件在抗侧面碰撞方面表现优于商用热冲压硬化钢，并且其焊接性能也得到了验证。统一钢降低了板材叠层内的电阻差异，从而简化了焊接工艺。统一钢概念有可能彻底改变全球汽车行业白车身的制造方式，并为碳中和做出贡献。
