Five members of the UWM Foundry research group, led by and including Distinguished Professor Pradeep Rohatgi, materials science & engineering, have been granted a U.S. patent for their innovative work on surface alloying of sand-cast steel components.
Current doctoral students Kaustubh Kishore Rane, Swaroop Kumer Behera, and Michael Beining are named on the patent, as well as Amir Kordijazi, an alum who is now an assistant professor at the University of Southern Maine.
This breakthrough technology involves applying a specially designed metal slurry to sand molds, resulting in metal castings with a durable, corrosion-resistant surface layer, which reduces corrosion, oxidation, and wear. This process gives mild steel a similar surface to stainless steel, at a much lower cost.
It also will reduce dependence on scarce alloying elements, like nickel and chromium, which are getting more expensive and difficult to import.
The work was funded by the Water Equipment and Policy Center, an NSF-backed I/UCRC at UWM. The patent is available for licensing through the UWM Research Foundation.