Battery Metals

Wear, corrosion, material fatigue are signs of degradation that are common to most materials. This makes it all the more important to detect damage early, preferably on the micrometer scale. Magnetic test methods are often used for this purpose, which was previously impossible with non-magnetic steel. Researchers from Kaiserslautern and Mainz have now developed a process in which they apply a thin magnetic layer to steel. Changes in the microstructure can thus be detected by changes in magnetic effects. Materials such as aluminum can also be tested in this way.The corresponding paper has been published recently in the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials.

Steel is one of the most frequently used materials. We use it in many variants, for example in the form of stainless steel, high-strength quenched and tempered steel, or low-priced structural steel. Steels can be magnetic or non-magnetic. They are used in cutlery, in automotive components, in steel girders of buildings, and in bridges. At times, steel is exposed to high temperatures and stress. “This can result in microstructural changes, cracks, or component failure,” said Dr. Marek Smaga, a researcher at the Department of Materials Science at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK). This is what experts refer to as material fatigue. Initially, such damage is only visible on the micrometer level. With magnetic testing methods, however, it is not yet possible to detect changes in this scale in non-magnetic steel at an early stage. Engineers from TUK and physicists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are working on this problem and are presenting a solution in their current study. The unique feature of their method is that it makes use of magnetic effects, even if the material being tested is non-magnetic.

The Mainz-based researchers coated a non-magnetic steel with different magnetic films, each 20 nanometers thin and composed of terfenol-D, an alloy of the chemical elements terbium, iron, and dysprosium, or of permalloy, a nickel-iron compound. The physicists then used a so-called Kerr microscope to check whether strains of the steel can be detected in the microscopic range. “This is achieved using the so-called Kerr effect, which allows the magnetic microstructures, the so-called domains, to be imaged by rotating the polarization direction of light,” explained Dr. Marek Smaga.

The scientists examined magnetically coated steel plates a few millimeters thick that had previously been exposed to mechanical stress. “We observed a characteristic change in the magnetic domain structure,” explained Dr. Martin Jourdan from the Institute of Physics at JGU. “Microscopic strain in non-magnetic steel causes the direction of magnetization of the thin layer to change.”

Compared to conventional testing procedures, this method has the advantage of detecting signs of fatigue much earlier as it is effective at the micrometer level. The researchers’ method could be used in new testing techniques in the future. In addition, the technique is not only interesting for non-magnetic steel. Other materials such as aluminum, titanium, and certain composite materials could also be treated with such a layer.

The project was part of the work undertaken by the Transregional Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR) “Spin+X: Spin in its collective environment,” which is based at TU Kaiserslautern and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The CRC/TRR involves interdisciplinary teams of researchers from the fields of chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, and process engineering, who undertake research into magnetic effects that are to be transferred to application. The primary focus is on the phenomenon of the spin. Physicists use this term to refer to the quantum mechanical momentum of a quantum particle, such as an electron or proton. This forms the basis of many magnetic effects.

Climbing shipments of steel from China, the world’s top exporter of the material, are the biggest concern of rival producers in Japan, the head of a Japanese industry body said on Tuesday.

Koji Kakigi, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation, said he fears the escalating Sino-U.S. trade war could crimp development of the Chinese economy, potentially sapping local demand for steel and pushing more of the commodity into export markets.

His comments come as China’s steel exports rose 2 percent in June from a year earlier, marking an 11-month high and their first year-on-year increase in 23 months, buoyed by strong international prices and a weaker yuan.

“We need to closely observe the rising exports from China,” Kakigi told a news conference on Tuesday.

“Our biggest worry is a scenario that the U.S.-China trade war would dent China’s economy and steel demand, leading to a surge in China’s steel exports,” he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he was ready to impose tariffs on all $500 billion of imported goods from China, threatening to deepen a clash over trade policy that has unnerved financial markets.

The Japanese steel industry is also concerned over a demand-hit from the potential imposition of broad U.S. tariffs on the automotive sector as it would impact their auto and auto parts customers, Kakigi said.

China on Monday launched an anti-dumping probe into stainless steel imports worth $1.3 billion, including from a privately owned Chinese mill with operations offshore, after complaints that a flood of product has damaged the local industry.

The Commerce Ministry said on Monday the investigation will target imports of stainless steel billet and hot-rolled stainless steel sheet and plate from the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, which nearly tripled last year.

The move follows a complaint by Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel (000825.SZ), with backing from four other state-owned mills including Baosteel’s stainless steel division, which blamed cheap imports on falling prices, it said.

China makes and consumes around half of the world’s stainless steel, which is used to protect against corrosion in buildings, transportation and packaging.

While the complaint targets eight foreign producers, it also lists a number Chinese companies, including the Indonesian unit of one of the world’s top producers, Tsingshan Stainless Steel, and 19 traders who import product.

Some private Chinese companies have opened or started building plants in Indonesia in recent years, drawing on its plentiful nickel resources and lower-cost of production.

A significant portion of the new production has been sold in China, analysts say.

The rapid increase in imports damaged the Chinese market, according to the complaint filed by Shanxi Taigang and released with the commerce ministry document.

Almost two-thirds of China’s stainless imports came from Indonesia last year, up from 5 percent in 2016 and zero in 2015, the complaint said. That rose to as high as 86 percent in the first quarter, it said.

Imported prices of the stainless steel products fell 23 percent to $1,867 a ton in 2017 from $2,436 a year earlier.

“If we allow these products to continue to enter the Chinese market with low prices and take more market share, sales of China’s domestic products will continue to decrease,” the complaint said.

Peter Peng, senior consultant at CRU in Beijing, said the investigation was “totally driven by an industrial dispute between SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and the fast-growing private mills.”

“Due to their cheap production costs, it’s more competitive than Chinese products,” he said.

Tsingshan opened a mill there last year with annual capacity of 3 million tonnes while Delong Holdings (DELO.SI) plans to start production there next year.

Anti-dumping duties would force mills to find new markets for their product, adding to a global glut, Peng said.

The European companies targeted by the probe include Spain’s Acerinox (ACX.MC), Finland’s Outokumpu Oyj (OUT1V.HE) and Luxembourg-based Aperam (APAM.AS).

Among the Japanese companies are Nisshin Steel Co Ltd (5413.T), Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (5401.T) and JFE Steel Corp [JFEST.UL]. Indonesia’s PT Jindal Stainless and South Korean steelmaker Posco (005490.KS) are also listed.

China imported 703,000 tonnes of those products in 2017, up almost 200 percent from a year earlier, with 98 percent coming from the regions targeted by the investigation.

Shanxi Taigang accounts for 25-35 percent of China’s stainless production.

China’s steel futures rose for a third session in four on Monday on concerns of tight supply as the top steelmaking city of Tangshan started six weeks of more production cuts.

Tangshan, home to dozens of private steelmakers, ordered mills to deepen output cuts from July 20 until Aug. 31.

The government did not instruct factories to cut output by a certain amount, but two steel mills told Reuters they had shut 50 percent of sintering capacity and 30 percent of capacity at blast furnaces.

Benchmark Shanghai rebar futures closed 0.8 percent higher at 4,011 yuan ($592.30) a tonne, after gaining 4.7 percent last week, their biggest since early June.

Hot-rolled coil futures climbed 1 percent to 4,080 yuan a tonne.

Spot steel prices were little changed at 4,354.63 yuan a tonne on Friday, according to Mysteel consultancy.

“China’s restrictions on steel production are likely to ensure domestic steelmakers’ margins remain high,” ratings agency Fitch said in a statement.

The average profit margin reached 700-800 yuan a tonne at Chinese mills, one of the highest in the past year.

The utilization rate at blast furnaces of steel mills across China increased 0.13 percentage points from the prior week to 70.99 percent as of Friday, Mysteel data showed, as mills in the northwestern province of Shanxi resumed operations following the completion of regional environmental inspections.

Fitch warned that environmental measures would dampen demand as other heavy industries that consume large amounts of steel will be constrained by emission targets, but believes steel supply is likely to fall more sharply than demand over the winter.

An environmental official said at a conference on Saturday that production curbs in China’s steel sector would vary from mill to mill in the winter season based on the emission level at each mill, while a Tangshan official said environmental measures in the city will be more and more stringent until at least 2020.

The most-active iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange gained 1.2 percent to 475 yuan a tonne.

Weekly stockpiles of imported iron ore at Chinese ports continued to rise for a second consecutive week, climbing 13,500 tonnes to 153.65 million tonnes on Friday, as frequent production curbs in northern China curtailed demand for steelmaking raw materials.

The Dalian coke contract for September delivery jumped 3.1 percent to 2,100 yuan a tonne, its highest in three weeks. Coking coal futures rose 0.5 percent to 1,168 yuan.

The rise in steel prices is leading to increased cost of construction for residential and commercial projects, giving jitters to realty sector. According to inputs from both the real estate sector and the steel industry, steel prices have gone up by about 40 to 50 per cent over the past six months. While this comes as a welcome change for steel traders who have been reeling under several problems in the recent past, builders and construction companies are worried over the increasing burden.

“Realty sector has already been burdened with rising cost of cement and labour. Now even steel prices have gone up, creating severe pressure on projects that are already in execution. Steel prices have increased from about `30,000 a tonne six months ago to about `50,000 per tonne. Steel contributes to about 15 per cent of total construction cost of a unit and the steep rise in its price will increase the cost by about `90-180 per sq ft,” said Ram Reddy Gummi from CREDAI.

CREDAI has already given a representation to government urging it to bring down steel prices, alleging that domestic steel suppliers have been citing the import duty – introduced to deter imports – to steeply hike the prices. However, steel industry representatives disagree with CREDAI. “Prices of all the raw materials used in manufacturing of steel like coking coal and sponge iron have gone up. Also, the demand has risen globally, leading to price rise.

In fact, steel industry has been in constant pressure over the past five to ten years, and just recently, it has seen positive momentum with price rise,” said Anil Agarwal, steel industry representative from FTAPCCI. With several steel industry representatives maintaining that steel prices may stay at the present price level for the next two to three months, realty sector is expected to see no relief in the immediate future and gear up for increased cost of construction.

If the import duties imposed by the US government succeeds, job losses are imminent in the steel and aliminium industry, says Business Unity of South Africa (BUSA).

Business Unity of South Africa (BUSA) said on Sunday that it was very concerned about imminent job losses in the domestic steel and aluminium industry if the import duties imposed by the United States government succeeds.

Speaking during the session on South African investment opportunities at the BRICS Business Council meeting being held in Durban, BUSA representative Busiswe Mabuza said that business acknowledged Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies’ efforts and wished him success in the negotiations.

“The threat to more than 7,000 jobs posed by the imposition of tariffs on South African steel and aluminium exports to the US remains a big concern, as every single job counts and the country cannot afford any further job loses in an economy that has such high unemployment levels,” Mabuza said.

“Minister [Rob] Davies, business acknowledges your brilliant efforts at government-to-government level in trying to negotiate exemptions for South African exporters in this regard.”

BUSA is a confederation of business organisations, including chambers of commerce and industry, professional associations, corporate associations and unisectoral organisations, representing South African business on macro-economic and high-level issues.

Mabuza’s remarks come after the US government earlier this year decided to impose Section 232 duties on imports of steel and aluminium, including from South Africa, on the basis of national security objectives as the Trump administration continues to clamp down on imports and widen its protectionism.

Davies is currently pushing for an exemption for South Africa’s exports of steel to the US, as he argues that they account for a small percentage, and so is unlikely to cause any harm to the US economy.