AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarship
Andrew J. Hope
During my summer internship at OCAS/ArcelorMittal in Gent, Belgium. I had the opportunity to contribute to research on ternary, high-silicon electrical steel, materials with promising applications in energy-efficient technologies. My work focused on understanding how alloying elements influence both the mechanical and magnetic properties of these steels.
I performed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate the relationship between alloying additions and the suppression of ordered phases, with the goal of improving the rollability of these otherwise brittle alloys. To complement this, I carried out thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to gain further insights into the magnetic behavior of the materials.
In addition, I conducted microstructural imaging of the steels after various mechanical and heat treatments. This provided valuable information on how processing conditions affect the material’s structure and properties.
This internship not only deepened my understanding of advanced characterization techniques but also gave me insight into how fundamental research connects to industrial applications in steel development.