Aermet 100， Wire，UNS K92580

British Specs:，American Specs:AMS 6532 Bar and Forgings，German Specs:

Aermet 100 (Wire, UNS K92580) - Introduction with Composition, Properties, Applications and Product Forms

Aermet 100, designated by UNS K92580, is an ultra-high-strength low-alloy steel renowned for its exceptional combination of extreme tensile strength, superior fracture toughness, and excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking. Developed for demanding aerospace and defense applications, this martensitic steel achieves its remarkable properties through a specialized heat treatment process that balances high strength with remarkable toughness—attributes rarely found in such high-performance materials. It is available in a comprehensive range of forms to meet diverse industrial needs, including Bar (Round bar, Flat bar), Ribbon, Wire, Rods, Tube, Pipe, Foil, Plate, Sheet, Strip, and Forging Stock. Aermet 100 Wire, in particular, is valued for its extraordinary strength-to-weight ratio, flexibility, and precision, making it ideal for intricate high-stress components in aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering industries. Below is a detailed overview of its chemical composition, key properties, practical applications, and available product forms.

Chemical Composition

The precisely engineered chemical composition of Aermet 100 (UNS K92580) is the foundation of its exceptional strength and toughness. The typical composition (by weight) is as follows:

Iron (Fe): Balanced (approximately 78-82%) (primary matrix element, forming the martensitic structure)

Cobalt (Co): 11-13% (critical for enhancing hardenability and strengthening the martensitic matrix)

Nickel (Ni): 10-12% (improves toughness and resistance to stress corrosion cracking)

Chromium (Cr): 2.8-3.2% (enhances corrosion resistance and aids in forming a protective oxide layer)

Molybdenum (Mo): 1.3-1.7% (contributes to precipitation hardening and improves high-temperature strength)

Carbon (C): 0.24-0.28% (enables martensite formation and provides solid solution strengthening)

Manganese (Mn): ≤ 0.3% (minimized to prevent grain boundary embrittlement)

Silicon (Si): ≤ 0.15% (controlled to maintain purity and avoid oxide inclusions)

Sulfur (S): ≤ 0.005% (strictly limited to ensure high toughness and reduce the risk of cracking)

Phosphorus (P): ≤ 0.01% (kept low to prevent grain boundary embrittlement)

Vanadium (V): 0.05-0.15% (refines grain structure and enhances strength through precipitation)

This carefully balanced composition, combined with a proprietary heat treatment (austenitizing, quenching, and tempering), delivers the alloy's signature ultra-high strength, exceptional toughness, and resistance to stress corrosion, making it suitable for the most demanding high-stress applications.

Key Properties

Aermet 100 (Wire, UNS K92580) and its various forms exhibit extraordinary properties that make them indispensable in applications requiring extreme strength and reliability:

Mechanical Properties (after heat treatment: austenitized at 870°C, quenched, tempered at 480°C):

Tensile strength: 1900-2100 MPa (275,600-304,600 psi) — among the highest for structural alloys with excellent toughness

Yield strength (0.2% offset): 1700-1900 MPa (246,600-275,600 psi)

Elongation (in 50 mm): 8-12% (impressive ductility for an ultra-high-strength material, enabling limited forming)

Reduction of area: 35-45% (indicative of good toughness and resistance to brittle fracture)

Charpy impact toughness (V-notched): ≥ 50 J (36.9 ft-lb) at room temperature (exceptional for such high strength)

Hardness: 50-54 HRC (Rockwell hardness, reflecting extreme surface hardness and wear resistance)

Physical and Thermal Properties:

Density: 8.1 g/cm³ (0.292 lb/in³) — offering an excellent strength-to-weight ratio for structural applications

Thermal conductivity: 16.5 W/(m·K) at 20°C (68°F)

Coefficient of thermal expansion: 12.5 μm/(m·K) (20-100°C) — low expansion, ensuring dimensional stability under temperature fluctuations

Modulus of elasticity: 200 GPa (29,000 ksi) at room temperature

Melting point: 1450-1490°C (2642-2714°F)

Magnetic permeability: Ferromagnetic, with high magnetic saturation (useful in aerospace and defense applications requiring magnetic properties)

Corrosion and Environmental Resistance:

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance: Excellent resistance to SCC in marine and industrial environments, outperforming many other high-strength steels

General corrosion resistance: Good resistance to atmospheric corrosion and freshwater, with improved performance compared to conventional high-strength steels due to chromium content

Hydrogen embrittlement resistance: Superior resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, critical for applications exposed to hydrogen-containing environments

Temperature resistance: Maintains strength and toughness at temperatures up to 315°C (600°F), suitable for high-temperature aerospace applications

Product Forms

Aermet 100 (UNS K92580) is manufactured in a diverse range of forms to accommodate specialized high-stress industrial processes across aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering sectors:

Bar: Available as Round bar (diameters from 10 mm to 250 mm) and Flat bar (thickness 8 mm to 150 mm, width 20 mm to 600 mm), ideal for machining into high-strength fasteners, shafts, and structural components.

Ribbon: Thin, flat strips (thickness 0.2 mm to 2 mm, width 5 mm to 100 mm) used in precision springs, sensor components, and lightweight structural elements.

Wire: Aermet 100 Wire (diameters 0.2 mm to 12 mm) offers exceptional strength and flexibility, making it suitable for high-tension springs, cables, and intricate wire forms in aerospace and defense systems.

Rods: Solid cylindrical rods (diameters 5 mm to 60 mm) suitable for structural supports, actuator components, and precision shafts in high-stress machinery.

Tube and Pipe: Seamless options (outer diameter 8 mm to 150 mm, wall thickness 1 mm to 15 mm) for lightweight high-pressure vessels, hydraulic lines, and structural tubing in aerospace applications.

Foil: Ultra-thin sheets (thickness 0.02 mm to 0.15 mm) used in lightweight armor, precision diaphragms, and thin-walled components requiring high strength.

Plate and Sheet: Flat forms (plate: thickness 6 mm to 120 mm; sheet: 0.3 mm to 6 mm) for fabricating aerospace structural parts, missile components, and high-strength brackets.

Strip: Narrow, flat strips (thickness 0.2 mm to 4 mm, width 10 mm to 250 mm) for precision manufacturing in springs, clips, and high-strength electrical contacts.

Forging Stock: Billets and ingots for hot forging into complex shapes such as aircraft landing gear components, rocket motor casings, and defense hardware.

Applications

The exceptional strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance of Aermet 100 (Wire, UNS K92580) across its various forms make it a critical material in industries requiring the highest performance under extreme stress:

Aerospace and Aviation:

Aircraft landing gear: Components such as struts, pistons, and shafts (from bar, forging stock, and plate) leveraging the alloy’s high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to stress corrosion.

Jet engine components: High-stress parts including turbine shafts, fasteners, and actuator rods (from bar, rod, and forging stock) withstanding extreme mechanical loads.

Spacecraft structures: Lightweight structural frames, deployment mechanisms, and payload attachments (from plate, sheet, and wire) for launch vehicles and satellites.

Defense and Military:

Armored vehicles: Armor plating, suspension components, and ballistic protection systems (from plate, forging stock, and foil) offering superior ballistic resistance.

Missile systems: Guidance components, motor casings, and launch hardware (from forging stock, tube, and plate) requiring high strength and reliability.

Naval applications: Submarine structural parts, torpedo components, and high-strength fasteners (from bar, rod, and forging stock) resisting corrosion in marine environments.

Advanced Engineering and Motorsports:

High-performance springs: Torsion springs, tension springs, and wave springs (from wire, ribbon, and strip) for aerospace and industrial machinery requiring extreme fatigue resistance.

Tooling and dies: Extrusion dies, blanking dies, and precision molds (from plate and bar) offering long service life under high stress.

Motorsports components: Suspension parts, drive shafts, and chassis components (from bar, sheet, and forging stock) reducing weight while increasing strength for racing applications.

Specialized Applications by Form:

Wire: High-tension cables, precision springs, and wire ropes for aerospace control systems and defense applications.

Tube/Pipe: Lightweight hydraulic lines, high-pressure vessels, and structural tubing in aircraft and missile systems.

Plate/Sheet: Aircraft structural panels, armor plating, and missile casings requiring maximum strength and impact resistance.

Bar/Forging Stock: Landing gear components, rocket motor casings, and high-strength fasteners for the most demanding applications.

In summary, Aermet 100 (Wire, UNS K92580) — available in forms from Bar and Wire to Plate and Forging Stock — delivers exceptional ultra-high strength, superior toughness, and resistance to stress corrosion. Its diverse product forms enable tailored solutions across aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering sectors, establishing it as a critical material in applications requiring the highest performance under extreme stress.

Packing of Standard Packing:

 Typical bulk packaging includes palletized plastic 5 gallon/25 kg. pails, fiber and steel drums to 1 ton super sacks in full container (FCL) or truck load (T/L) quantities. Research and sample quantities and hygroscopic, oxidizing or other air sensitive materials may be packaged under argon or vacuum. Solutions are packaged in polypropylene, plastic or glass jars up to palletized 2572 gallon liquid totes Special package is available on request.