Abstract: “After a thousand years of steel processing, many centuries of experimental development and intensive scientific research applying the most innovative techniques in the 19th and 20th centuries it might seem that the potential of steels has reached its maximum. Yet, new possibilities of modifying steel structure and thus influencing its properties keep appearing [1-4]. This article introduces the authors' new findings aboutsteels and their treatment, which could influence the overall image of die forging and push the limits of forged products in the near future. Low cost alloyed steels with tensile strength of about 2000 MPa and ductility over 10 % for die forging produced by a straightforward procedure with low energy consumption in mind seem to be a promising start.”

Keywords: high strength steels, Q-P process, retained austenite, closed-die forging