Exhaust gas temperatures in high-efficiency light-duty and heavy-duty engines are expected to increase steadily through 2025 and beyond. This has created a demand for new materials that can meet the performance and cost targets for components, such as exhaust valves, which are exposed to these higher exhaust gas temperatures. Currently Ni-based alloy 751, which contains about 71% nickel, is used in high-performance exhaust valve applications. Alloy 751 has strength and oxidation resistance up to about 800-850°C. However, above 850°C, this alloy rapidly loses its strength.

Using computation modeling techniques, ORNL researchers have developed several new low-cost, high-strength Ni-Fe-Cr alloys with yield strengths up to ~80% better than that of alloy 751. In addition, these alloys have been designed to contain 50% or less by weight of Ni+Co, which is about 25-40% lower than that of alloy 75, translating to material cost savings.

The low-cost, high-strength Ni-Fe-Cr alloys have the potential to be used for exhaust valves in the next generation high-efficiency engines. Additionally, high                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     temperature applications exist in the industrial manufacturing, chemical, gas turbine, power, and aerospace markets. For example, low-cost, high-strength Ni-Fe-Cr alloys could enable manufacturing of lighter heat-treating baskets and fixtures, radiant tubes, wire mesh furnace belts and basket liners, fluidized-bed components, muffles and retorts, and recuperators.

Technology Innovation Program:

This technology was originally developed using federal funds and selected for further development under the laboratory's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports technology development using royalties from existing technology licenses to accelerate the market readiness of high potential technologies. If your organization is interested in exploiting/utilizing this technology, we encourage you to do so via a licensing agreement.

ORNL is accepting licensing applications for review from all interested parties, and license applications will be evaluated based on prospective partners' ability and commitment to successfully commercialize the technology. If a license agreement is executed, the ORNL researchers developing the technology will be eligible to compete for additional TIP funding to assist in the transfer of the technology to the licensee.

Timeline:

November 26, 2018 -         Deadline for receipt of licensing applications.

December 10, 2018 -         Notice of selection of candidates invited to license.

January 30, 2019 -             Final Negotiations of Licensing Agreements.

Intellectual Property:

Invention Disclosure No. 201303072; US Patent 9,605,565: Low-cost Fe-Ni-Cr alloys for High Temperature Valve Applications

Invention Disclosure No. 20130373; US Patent 9,752,468: Low-Cost, High-Strength Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys for High Temperature Exhaust Valve Applications

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Additional Information:

Technology Overview:  https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/TIP-Low-Cost-2018.pdf

Additional background on the Technology Innovation Program and technical business opportunities may be found on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website:  https://www.ornl.gov/partnerships/technology-innovation-program.

National Laboratory Licensing Guide:  https://www.ornl.gov/partnerships/licensing-guidelines.

ORNL License Application:  https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/license_application_0.pdf.

Please contact Nestor Franco, Commercialization Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 865-574-0534, [email protected] with any questions on the opportunity or to obtain a license application.

Please contact Govindarajan Muralidharan, Senior research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory,865.574.4281, [email protected] with any questions about the alloy technology.