1.Breakthroughs in materials science are breaking the boundaries of steel performance. In July 2025, the Chengdu Institute of Advanced Metal Materials announced a patent for a "heat treatment method for improving the low-temperature impact performance of martensitic aging stainless steel". By precisely controlling the 830-870℃ low-temperature solid solution and 460-485℃ aging treatment process, the problem of steel embrittlement in extreme environments was solved.
2.More fundamental innovations come from the application of rare earths. On July 14, the China Rare Earth Society evaluated the results of the "Rare Earth Corrosion Resistant Carbon Steel Technology Innovation and Industrialization" project. The expert group led by Academician Gan Yong determined that the technology reached the "international leading level".
3.Professor Dong Han's team at Shanghai University revealed the comprehensive corrosion resistance mechanism of rare earths changing the properties of inclusions, reducing grain boundary energy and promoting the formation of protective rust layers. This breakthrough has increased the corrosion resistance of ordinary Q235 and Q355 steels by 30%-50%, while reducing the use of traditional weathering elements by 30%.
4.Key progress has also been made in the research and development of earthquake-resistant steel. The seismic hot-rolled steel plate newly developed by Ansteel Co., Ltd. adopts a unique composition design (Cu: 0.5%-0.8%, Cr: 2%-4%, Al: 2%-3%), and achieves high seismic performance with a damping value of δ≥0.08 through precise temperature control technology, providing new material guarantee for building safety.
5.In the field of special steel, Daye Special Steel and the China Iron and Steel Research Institute jointly built the National Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, and the aircraft engine main shaft bearing steel developed by it has won the CITIC Group Science and Technology Award. These innovations have continuously enhanced the competitiveness of Chinese special steel in the global high-end market.