Ferrium® M54™, an ultra-high-strength, high-toughness steel designed by QuesTek Innovations LLC, has been issued Aerospace Material Specification 6516 by SAE International. The steel is also highly resistant to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC). SAE AMS 6516 deals with the procurement of bars, forgings and forging stock of M54 as a double-vacuum-melted aircraft-quality alloy, and defines chemistry, thermal processing, properties and other material requirements. Ferrium® M54™ was designed and created to be a lower cost, drop-in replacement for AerMet® 100 under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and II projects sponsored by the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). SAE’s issuance of AMS 6516 came less than 48 months after the specific material property design goals were set under the Phase I project. Under their license from QuesTek, Latrobe Specialty Steel Company began commercially manufacturing and selling M54 less than 32 months after the material design goals were set. The S-basis procurement minimums for M54 are 240 ksi yield strength, 285 ksi tensile strength, and 100 ksi, in fracture toughness. M54 has also demonstrated exceptional resistance to SCC than competing steels. M54 also contains approximately 50% less cobalt than AerMet 100. M54 is suitable for use in aircraft landing gear, aircraft arresting tailhooks and components, power transmission driveshafts, jet engine shafts and shrouds, drilling equipment, actuators, fasteners, blast tolerant containers, ordnance, sporting goods and other demanding products.
