Researchers in Japan have developed a heat-treated steel (TF, at right) that’s tougher at both high and low temperatures than conventional steel (QT, left). At a brisk -100 degrees Celsius, the heated steel absorbed more than 10 times the energy from an impact test before breaking than regular steel. Unlike the alloyed steels used for low-temperature applications, the tougher new steel doesn’t require that any other elements be added to it, and so would be much cheaper.

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