Overview
In previous articles, we have illustrated how stainless steel can make a difference in so many projects, especially through the case of Progreso Pier, Mexico, where stainless steel has outperformed carbon steel with absolute advantage in service life. We have also compared and contrasted the two popular metal materials, stainless steel VS aluminum. It is all about material science, for which we will explore stainless steel application in vehicles through the case of Tesla and Space X this week.
Tesla and Space X
Tesla is renowned worldwide for making electric cars and Space X for rockets. A good reason to put them together is both companies are under the leadership of Elon Musk. This constitutes an advantage in that Musk’s companies share engineering knowledge, which is especially true for Tesla & Space X.
As previously we have introduced Cybertruck when illustrating stainless steel application in cars. There is story behind Cybertruck that we didn’t cover in that article. Now is the best timing to catch up.
The Story behind Cybertruck
When brainstorming possible designs for a Tesla pickup truck, Musk refused conventional designs like a Chevrolet Silverado. Their futile efforts to draw reference from historical vehicles led to a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum for inspiration.
During their visit, the chief designer Franz von Holzehausen noticed almost no change in the form of manufacturing process for pickup trucks in 80 years. This prompted Musk to think from a different perspective, not the design but the building material.
The materials in consideration were initially aluminum and titanium, as said von Holzehausen. By that time, Musk was obsessed with the feasibility of making rockets with stainless steel. It dawned upon him that stainless steel could also apply to a pickup truck. After weeks of discussion, Musk confirmed his decision to produce Cybertruck using stainless steel.
- • Firstly, it was innovative in that it provided a new perspective on what a pickup truck could look like.
- • No painting on a stainless steel body was necessitated.
- • Stainless steel was tough and endurable, able to bear some of the structural load.
- • It was cost efficient as they used their own developed stainless steel sheets.
The Story behind Starship
By the year of 2018, Musk became enthralled by the very common metal alloy stainless steel, as joked by him “Stainless steel and I should go get a room somewhere.” He deduced that stainless steel could work well for a rocket as it would for the Cybertruck. (Walter Isaacson 2023)
During his visit to the Starship production facility with his engineer Bill Riley in late 2018, Riley told him they were wrestling with the problem of the wrinkles developed on the carbon fiber sheets they were using. The process was slow and costly. Musk figured it would abort his plan to get to Mars if continuing with the material of carbon fiber.
Musk knew that the Atlas rockets sent the first four Americans into orbit in 1960s were constructed with stainless steel. He knew with their current process they would never be speedy enough to make rockets. The answer became clear at the end of their visit around the facility: changing the material from carbon fiber to stainless steel.
Switching from Carbon Fiber to Stainless Steel
After a few days later he met with his executive team at Space X conference room talking about the change. Imaginary as it was, the idea of using stainless steel for rocket was repellent and doubtful for stainless steel was of higher density than carbon fiber and aluminum-lithium alloy already used as rocket material.
However, after running the numbers, the team had to admit that stainless steel would be lighter in the case of Starships for its excellent resistance to extreme temperatures.
• Under extremely low temperatures, stainless steel would become much harder, with its strength increased by 50 percent. This would be beneficial for carrying the supercooled liquid oxygen and nitrogen fuel.
• The high melting point of stainless steel would render an otherwise-required heat shield on Starship’s space-facing side unnecessary, decreasing the overall weight of a rocket.
• Stainless steel could bring higher efficiency as it was easier to weld stainless steel than to weld aluminum-lithium alloy which was quite environment-demanding. The aluminum-lithium alloy applied into Falcon 9 required stir welding which must be done at a clean room environment.
Why Stainless Steel for Tesla & Space X?
In Tesla and Space X meetings, there were so many options for Musk to choose from for battery cathodes and anodes, engine valves, vehicle frames, the body of a pickup truck and rocket structure as below listed (Walter Isaacson 2023).
- • Lithium
- • Iron
- • Cobalt
- • Inconel & other nickel-and-chromium alloys
- • Plastic composites
- • Grades of aluminum
- • Alloys of steel
The product speaks for itself, whether in terms of Cybertruck or Starship. The answer to the question why stainless steel for Tesla & Space X becomes crystal clear because stainless steel can meet all the required performance at a low cost.
Charles Kuehmann, the VP for materials engineering at both Tesla and Space X, has developed a cold-rolled stainless steel which Tesla patented. It eliminates the need for heat requirement to achieve the strength required for both of their trucks and rockets. Also, it’s cheap.
The switch to stainless steel at the same time removed the requirement for hiring professional builders salient in specialized expertise to fabricate carbon fiber. At its engine test site, Space X worked with a company making stainless steel water towers, speculating 4mm stainless steel for its Starship’s walls would be sufficient. It turned out to work well.
Stainless Steel at CIVMATS
While we are thrilled by the innovative stainless steel vehicles introduced by Tesla & Space X, we also feel inspired by their entrepreneurship for Musk extends the application of stainless steel to some special fields and opened up more possibilities for material science.
If you are looking for reliable stainless steel supplier from China, contact CIVMATS. CIVMATS specialize in stainless steel materials in varied shapes, ranging from SS plate sheet coil strip, pipe tube, bars (round, flat, angle, hex, square & channel) to wires & wire ropes.
Welcome for your enquiry or purchasing for stainless steel materials from CIVMATS China. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability.
