Convocation Newsletter, Summer 2019

SuperSteel to the Rescue Dr Huang and his team are the inventors of SuperSteel, an innovative material that got its name for being both “super strong” and “super flexible”. This breakthrough, which was reported in the prestigious US-based journal Science , could greatly improve the safety of the roads, cars, and planes we use every day for transport. SuperSteel’s potential applications include auto manufacturing, aerospace, and mass infrastructure such as bridges. It can be produced at a reasonable cost using existing techniques, making it adaptable for industry. To create SuperSteel, Dr Huang had to overcome a major challenge in the field of material science: the “strength- ductility trade-off”. Conventionally, when strength is increased, ductility – or flexibility – can be compromised. SuperSteel, which combines the best of both attributes, was developed using a novel deformed and partitioned (D&P) process. “I understand the importance of turning research into products to improve consumers’ lives.” Dr Huang Mingxin 黃明欣 Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering USA TechConnect Global Innovation Awardee WHAT NEXT? Several companies are now in discussion with HKU about licensing SuperSteel technology. China Baowu Steel, the largest steel company in China, is using the quenched and partitioned Q&P process to produce steel used by car manufacturers such as General Motors and Nissan. 6 Summer 2019