In a statement, the company said the award, through the Energy Department’s High Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) Program, will provide for the development of microstructure-based transformation models to predict austenite stability in high-strength steels.

“AK Steel is proud to have the opportunity to collaborate with the DOE and the HPC4Mtls Program to develop mathematical models that could enable the production of automotive components with properties tailored to meet the demanding performance requirements of the future,” said AK Steel chief executive Roger K. Newport. 

“This is another outstanding example of the important work and collaboration of our AK Steel experts to drive continued innovation in steelmaking,” he added. 

AK Steel researchers will collaborate with DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the project. Earlier this year, AK Steel accepted a grant through the Energy Department’s High Performance Computing for Manufacturing program.

That award is focused on leveraging high-performance computing from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for hot-rolling steel research, the company said.