High-performance materials that exhibit a robust strength-ductility synergy across cryogenic to high temperatures are essential for aerospace applications, yet achieving this combination remains a significant challenge in materials development. Here, we report that remarkable mechanical properties across a broad temperature range can be achieved in bimodal harmonic-architectured (BHA) alloys. In this architecture, spherical precipitates stabilize coarse-grained cores, while lamellar precipitates facilitate selective recrystallization, resulting in a reproducible necklace-like topology. This engineered microstructure delivers exceptional mechanical performance from -196 °C to 700 °C, consistently achieving yield strengths of 1-2 GPa and ductilities exceeding 10% throughout the entire temperature spectrum. Quantitative analysis reveals that precipitation and grain-boundary strengthening are the primary contributors to strength at all temperatures, whereas the contribution of dislocation hardening decreases progressively with increasing temperature. The deformation mechanisms exhibit temperature-adaptive cooperation: dislocation forests and nanotwins enhance deformation at cryogenic temperatures, dislocation-precipitate interactions dominate plasticity at ambient conditions, and interfacial back-stress accommodation ensures coordinated deformation of bimodal grains at elevated temperatures. This adaptive synergy effectively suppresses both cryogenic embrittlement and high-temperature softening, establishing a robust structural foundation for broad service applicability. The BHA engineering offers a versatile pathway for developing next-generation alloys with superior properties required for wide-temperature applications.

Due to high cooling rate and large thermal gradient, laser powder bed fused (LPBF) near-beta titanium alloys have a greater propensity to form columnar grains containing martensitic textures, resulting in a strength-ductility trade-off. In this study, Ti-13Nb-13Zr (TNZ) alloys were manufactured via LPBF, followed by solution and aging treatments (STA) as post-treatment. The enhancement of strength-ductility synergy after STA, as well as underlying strengthening mechanisms, were systematically investigated. The as-built microstructure was composed of columnar beta grains filled with fine alpha ' textures, leading to high elongation but relatively low yield strength. After STA, all martensite transformed into interlaced primary and secondary alpha lamellae, thereby forming the bi-lamellar microstructure within retained columnar grains. In addition, increasing solution temperature or decreasing aging temperature enhanced alpha phase content and reduced both size and aspect ratio of alpha lamellae. Meanwhile, higher solution temperature resulted in increased strength but decreased elongation. Increased aging temperature not only reduced strength but also caused elongation initially increase before declining. Notably, after 660 degrees C/ST(WQ)+530 degrees C/AG(AC), alloys achieved superior tensile mechanical properties, with an ultimate tensile strength of 1005+6 MPa, yield strength of 939+4 MPa, elongation of 13.5 + 0.8% and section shrinkage of 41.2 + 3.6%, meeting demands as bone implants. Apart from retained columnar grains preserving ductility, this superior performance is primarily attributed to dislocation entanglements promoted by numerous intersections and alpha/beta phase interfaces, which act as effective barriers to dislocation motion provided by interlaced alpha lamellae. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights for optimizing LPBF-manufactured near-beta TNZ alloy and advancing its clinical applications.

Ferritic/martensitic steel is a promising candidate material for lead-based reactor, however, it is susceptible to performance degradation under long-term exposure to high temperatures and intense irradiation. In this study, P92 steel from ultra-supercritical power plant after different service times (0-90,000 h) was subjected to Fe¹¹⁺ ion irradiation at 460 °C to a dose of 10 dpa. Research findings indicate that long-term thermal service leads to martensitic lath broadening, alterations in the dislocation structure, and the precipitation of the Laves phase. Although all samples exhibit notable hardening after irradiation, the degree of irradiation hardening progressively diminishes with increasing service time, suggesting that prolonged thermal service suppresses further irradiation hardening. Microstructural analysis and quantitative calculations reveal that irradiation-induced dislocation loops and MnNiSi clusters are the primary cause of irradiation hardening

The microstructure refinement of Fe-18Ni-1Ti maraging steel under varying thermal cycling (TC) temperatures is systematically investigated in this study. It is revealed that such refinement is governed by two distinct mechanisms: martensitic blocks and packets (BP) refinement and prior austenite grain (PAG) refinement. During slow heating, Ni redistributes from the martensite and Ni3Ti enveloped by acicular austenite (γA) into γA, forming Ni-rich γA and Ni-poor martensite that subsequently transforms into Ni-poor γA via a displacive mechanism. The coexistence of Ni-rich and Ni-poor γA constitutes the microscopic origin of Ni heterogeneity in the austenite. During martensitic transformation, Ni-heterogeneous austenite exhibits resistance to phase transformation and sustains the transformation process by mitigating strain energy via the multivariant self-accommodation effect. The increase in variant numbers leads to BP refinement. In addition, misfit dislocations at the interface between intergranular Ni3Ti and the matrix climb inward to reduce strain energy during its growth. This climb of misfit dislocations facilitates hexagonal close-packed to face-centered cubic structural transformation, thereby promoting the nucleation of globular austenite and contributing to PAG refinement. This work provides deeper insights into the microstructure refinement mechanism in maraging steel and establishes a theoretical foundation for the microstructure modulation through TC.

In this study, a novel laminated structure featuring dual-scale heterogeneous interfaces, i.e., the micro-scale multilayer interfaces and nanoscale precipitation interfaces, was designed and fabricated by alternating stacking layers of CoCrNi medium entropy alloy (MEA) and (CoCrNi)94Al3Ti3 MEA. The influence of layer thickness and interfacial heterogeneity magnitude on tensile behaviors was systematically investigated. Unlike conventional single-heterogeneous laminates, which exhibit only grain size gradients across interfaces, the dual-heterogeneous laminates, incorporating disparities in both grain size and precipitation, demonstrate a simultaneous enhancement in both yield strength and uniform elongation with decreasing layer thickness. This exceptional synergy of strength and ductility is attributed to multiple underlying mechanisms: first, the activation of nanoscale deformation twins, stacking faults, and Lomer-Cottrell locks during tensile deformation; second, pronounced precipitation shear hardening mediated by coherent L12 nanoprecipitates, which further promotes ductility; and third, the increased density of heterogeneous interfaces leading to enhanced hetero-deformation-induced hardening. These findings offer a novel and promising strategy for designing advanced laminated structures with superior tensile performance. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Developing high-strength titanium alloys with high toughness under varying strain rate loading has been a long-standing pursuit in the development of advanced structural materials. In this study, we report a hierarchical multiscale heterogeneous microstructure (HS) in the Ti-6Al-3Nb-2Zr-1Mo (Ti80) alloy, comprising fine equiaxed α grains, discontinuous lamellar α phase, and transformed β (βt) phase with strong nanoscale α′ precipitates. The HS-Ti80 exhibits an unprecedented synergy of yield strength (860 MPa), uniform elongation (11.2%), and impact toughness (KV2, 104 J). The superior strain hardening capacity of the HS arises from the heterogeneous deformation induced by the coexistence of multiscale domains. The fine equiaxed α grains promote uniform stress distribution and delay strain localization, while the βt phase with nano‑α´ precipitates serves as a hard domain that accommodates strain compatibility with the α matrix. Consequently, multiple types of dislocations and deformation twins are activated, and their intricate interactions sustain plastic deformation over a wide strain range. Simultaneously, the discontinuous lamellar α grains act as effective crack buffers, deflecting propagating cracks, generating a high density of secondary cracks, and forcing a tortuous crack path, thereby substantially dissipating strain energy and enhancing impact resistance. These findings establish that architecting hierarchical HSs provides a promising strategy for developing high‑performance titanium alloys capable of withstanding both quasi‑static and impact loading.

Abstract The production of engineering waste slurry is enormous, but its engineering properties are poor, and its resource utilization is a challenging problem that urgently needs to be addressed in the field of geotechnical engineering. This study applied polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate (PM-200) to reinforce waste slurry, aiming to explore a new solidification technology that combines environmental benefits with improved engineering performance. Through unconsolidated undrained dynamic triaxial tests, the study systematically investigated the effects of PM-200 content, water content, and cyclic stress ratio (CSR) on the dynamic properties of solidified slurry, and proposed an improved method for evaluating dynamic parameters considering the asymmetry of hysteresis loops. The results indicate that: (1) PM-200 can significantly increase the dynamic elastic modulus ( E d ) of waste slurry and reduce the damping ratio ( λ ), and appropriately reducing the water content can further enhance the solidification effect. This finding provides key technical parameters for the onsite treatment of high-water-content waste slurry. (2) CSR has a dual influence on the dynamic response of solidified slurry: as CSR increases, λ increases and Ed decreases; however, when CSR is below a threshold, Ed may slightly increase, revealing the stiffness degradation and damage accumulation mechanisms of the material under cyclic loading. (3) The asymmetry of hysteresis loops has a significant impact on the evaluation of dynamic parameters: when considering asymmetry, the calculated values of E d and λ are 1.2–1.6 times and 1.23–1.63 times higher than those obtained under the traditional symmetric assumption, respectively. This finding corrects the systematic underestimation of material dynamic response by traditional methods and provides a more accurate basis for engineering safety assessment. This study provides a green, economical, and efficient technical approach for the resource utilization of waste slurry. The research results can be directly applied to the design and construction of practical projects such as road subgrades and foundation pit backfilling, with significant theoretical and engineering application value.

A novel dual-heterogeneous laminate with two-scale heterogeneous interfaces, i.e., micro-scale coordinated multilayer interfaces and nano-scale precipitation interfaces, has been designed and fabricated. Then, the effects of layer thickness and deformation temperature on the tensile properties have been investigated in these multilayer laminates with alternating CoCrNi and (CoCrNi)94Al3Ti3 layers. The yield strength and the uniform elongation are observed to simultaneously increase with decreasing layer thickness and lower deformation temperature. Hetero-deformation-induced hardening (HDI) is found to be higher for the laminates with smaller layer thickness, and HDI hardening becomes ever higher at cryogenic temperature as compared to that at room temperature. Micro-hardness measurements prior to and after tensile testing reveal that larger hardness increments can be observed in the laminates with decreasing layer thickness and lower deformation temperature. The enhanced tensile properties with decreasing layer thickness and lower deformation temperature can be attributed to the higher HDI hardening. Multiple deformation mechanisms, such as stacking faults, deformation twins, Lomer-Cottrell locks, 9R structures and ɛ-martensite transformation, are observed to be activated at cryogenic temperature, and high density coherent L12 nanoprecipitates with interspacing of several tens of nm are found to be sheared by defects, resulting in strong precipitation hardening for better tensile ductility.

A feature extraction method combines anisotropic guided filtering with multimodal large-component adaptive segmentation. It addresses the local concealment features of aviation glass and enables accurate detection of small-target defects. The local concealment features of aviation glass are analyzed. Canny edge detection provides the edge foundation for the guided filtering. Local window size, regularization parameter, and anisotropic factor are dynamically adjusted to remove noise while preserving details. The adaptive threshold is dynamically determined according to the local gray-level characteristics of the image for binarization. An area threshold is set to filter and fuse potential target features, achieving accurate segmentation of local concealment feature images. The filtered image achieves a peak signal-to-noise ratio of 37.61, a structural similarity index of 0.91, and a feature extraction accuracy of 0.9962. The method effectively overcomes the interference of local concealment features in the precise segmentation and extraction of aviation glass feature images.

20Cr1Mo1VTiB bolt steel is widely used as a high-temperature fastener in thermal power plants, where it operates under complex stress conditions. However, this steel undergoes significant strength-toughness degradation after prolonged high-temperature service, and the microstructural mechanisms responsible for this degradation under real service conditions remain unclear. In this work, the microstructure evolution of this steel served after 1.30 x 105 h was systematically analyzed. We found that long-term exposure promoted the continuous precipitation of M6C carbides along grain boundaries, and facilitated the co-precipitation of Laves phases, accompanied by Ostwald ripening-induced coarsening of VC carbides, grain coarsening, and a reduction in dislocation density. Correspondingly, the yield and tensile strengths decreased from 809 +/- 8 and 890 +/- 6 MPa to 720 +/- 7 and 833 +/- 12 MPa, respectively. Especially, severe impact toughness deterioration was also observed, with absorbed energy sharply dropping from 132 to 34 J and the fracture mode shifting from ductile to brittle. These precipitation clusters lower the critical stress for cracking, concentrate boundary stress, and weaken strain compatibility, promoting crack propagation along prior-austenite grain boundaries. This work provides microstructural evidence and a mechanistic understanding of this steel's degradation under true service conditions, offering guidance for service life assessment and alloy optimization of high-temperature fasteners. (c) 2026 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Although Inconel 718 alloy is widely applied in the nuclear and petrochemical industries owing to its excellent mechanical performance and high corrosion resistance, long-term service at elevated temperatures inevitably leads to deterioration of its microstructure and mechanical properties. This study investigated the microstructural evolution and mechanical degradation of Inconel 718 alloy after subjected to long-term high-temperature aging treatments (AT). The results indicated that with increasing aging time (up to 1000 h), the volume fraction of the stable delta phase increases from 0.14% to 15.1%, at the expense of gamma '' phase and gamma ' phases, leading to the yield and tensile strengths decreasing from 1330 MPa and 1385 MPa to 840 MPa and 932.5 MPa, respectively. Quantitative analysis on microstructure parameters revealed that the decrease in precipitation strengthening increment is the principal factor to reduce the yield strength after long-term high-temperature aging because all other microstructure parameters such as effective grain size, dislocation density and solid solution elements content are very similar before and after the long-term aging treatment. In the standard heat treatment (SHT) specimen, the dominant strengthening precipitates are gamma '' phase, whereas in the AT specimens they transform into delta phase. Based on Orowan-model estimations, the contribution of delta phase accounts for only approximately 23% of the total yield strength for the AT specimens, while the strength increment provided by the gamma '' phase can account for around a half of the total yield strength for the SHT specimens. In addition, the aging treatment also significantly reduces the material's impact toughness, with impact absorbed energy dropping from 58 J to 47 J, and the fracture mode transits from a micro-void coalescence (MVC) ductile fracture mode to a ductile-brittle mixed fracture. The degradation in toughness is also probably attributed to the evolution of precipitates from the intricate gamma '' and gamma phase to the long-striped delta phase, e.g., the decrease in the interfacial energy between these precipitates and the matrix.

Grain refinement via austenite reversion has been a critical process in maraging steels; however, Co's governing role in this austenite reversion remains inadequately characterized. This study investigates the influence of Co on the austenite reversion behavior in Fe-Ni-Ti-(Co) maraging steels under continuous heating. We demonstrate that Co inhibits acicular austenite (gamma A) reversion by elevating its critical Ni concentration threshold. Conversely, Co-induced coarser intergranular Ni3Ti promotes globular austenite (gamma G) nucleation. Furthermore, the enhanced gamma G nucleation results in more pronounced prior austenite grain (PAG) refinement, and the suppression of Co on austenite reversion exacerbates Ni heterogeneity within austenite. Upon subsequent cooling, this chemical heterogeneity triggers an anomalous martensitic transformation, resulting in substantially refinement of the martensitic blocks and packets (MBP). These findings provide fundamental insights into Co-mediated microstructural evolution, establishing new principles for tailoring austenite reversion in ultrahigh strength maraging steels.

Enhancing both strength and ductility in high-performance bearing steels remains a key challenge for next-generation aerospace applications. In this study, the microstructural evolution and mechanical response of CSS-42L aerospace bearing steel subjected to isothermal quenching and tempering (IQT) were systematically investigated, with the conventional quenching & tempering (CQT) as the contrast. The isothermal quenching at 260 degrees C produced a refined bainite/martensite dual-phase microstructure characterized by a smaller effective grain size (similar to 1.26 mu m), homogeneously dispersed nanoscale Mo- and Cr-rich carbides. These synergistic features led to a superior strength-elongation product of 23.6 GPa%, which was superior to that achieved by CQT. Microstructural analysis revealed that the low-temperature bainitic transformation provided enhanced thermal stability of substructures, while tempering promoted uniform carbide precipitation within the matrix and along grain boundaries without excessive coarsening. The improvement in tensile properties arose from the combined effects of grain boundaries, carbide precipitation, and dislocation strengthening, together with the suppression of intergranular embrittlement through carbide refinement. The findings demonstrate that the low-temperature IQT route offers a promising pathway to achieve a balanced strength-ductility trade-off in CSS-42L steel, providing new insights for designing heat-treatment strategies in high-performance aerospace bearings.

High-performance steels that combine superior mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and antibacterial functionality are increasingly required for medical instruments. In this study, we designed a novel Cu-containing maraging stainless steel that integrates these properties through Cu-mediated control of precipitation and phase evolution. Atomic-scale characterization reveals that Cu addition promotes the formation of dense nanoscale Cu-rich precipitates, while simultaneously suppresses Cr-rich precipitates spinodal decomposition. This co-precipitation behavior accelerates aging hardening and enhances mechanical performance, enabling the aged alloy to achieve a yield strength of 1263 MPa and tensile strength of 1432 MPa with improved uniform elongation of similar to 10% and superior impact toughness of 68 J. Beyond mechanical strengthening, the nanoscale galvanic interaction with the matrix facilitates Cu2+ release, leading to a strong antibacterial efficiency of 98.6% against E. coli. In parallel, the suppression of Cr-rich precipitates and refinement of Mo-enriched precipitates reduce local compositional gradients, leading to higher corrosion and pitting potentials and the formation of a more uniform and stable passive film. Overall, this work clarifies the synergistic effect of Cu alloying on tensile properties through co-precipitation, assisted austenite reversion, and an enhanced TRIP effect; on antibacterial performance via Cu2+ release, and on corrosion protection via passive-film stabilization.

Based on currently commercial non-quenched and tempered steels， this study innovatively proposes a compositional design strategy of “reduced C， increased Si， and added Mn.” Through compositional regulation and microstructural optimization， a novel high-strength， high-toughness， and low-cost non-quenched and tempered steel with a tensile strength of approximately 1 300 MPa was successfully developed. The results indicate that the novel non-quenched and tempered steel （QGF17） has the following chemical composition （w/%）： 0.19C， 1.92Si， 2.90Mn， 0.56Cr， 0.012P， and 0.004S. The addition of Si optimizes the bainitic microstructure， leading to an increased volume fraction of lath bainite （LB）. Meanwhile， the grain size is refined from 18 μm to 11 μm， the fraction of high-angle grain boundaries （HAGBs） increases markedly from 28.5% to 59.1%， and the dislocation density also rises. As a result， localized high-dislocation-density regions form near grain boundaries and lath interfaces. Compared with FAS2225 steel， the novel non-quenched and tempered steel exhibits substantially improved， especially the hardness and mechanical properties. The HV hardness increases from 318 to 473， the yield strength and tensile strength rise from 710 MPa and 955 MPa to 973 MPa and 1 322 MPa， respectively， and the impact energy at -20 °C increases significantly from 16 J to 29 J. In addition， the novel steel demonstrates a higher strain-hardening capability and excellent impact toughness. The SEM fracture analysis reveals that although both steels exhibit quasi-cleavage fracture characteristics under impact loading， a pronounced plastic deformation zone is observed near the V-notch region in the novel non-quenched and tempered steel. Correspondingly， the fracture morphology evolves from river-pattern quasi-cleavage facets in FAS2225 steel to finer quasi-cleavage micro-facets in the novel steel. These results confirm that， through simplified alloying and optimized compositional design， the developed non-quenched and tempered steel effectively reduces production costs while overcoming the long-standing trade-off between strength enhancement and toughness degradation in conventional high-strength non-quenched steels， thereby providing a promising technological pathway for the engineering application of high-performance non-quenched and tempered steels.

Achieving simultaneous enhancement in room-temperature tensile properties and high-temperature creep resistance remains a formidable challenge for TiAl alloys. Here, we report a multistage nanocarbide precipitation strategy that endows Ti-45Al-8Nb-0.6C alloy with an exceptional combination of room-temperature tensile properties and high-temperature creep resistance. Unlike traditional single-stage precipitation, the inherent rapid solidification characteristic of electron beam selective melting enables the formation of a unique microstructure characterized by directional nano-Ti2AlC precipitation and high-density solution carbon atoms in the as-fabricated Ti-45Al-8Nb-0.6C alloy. During the room-temperature tensile process, the directional nano-Ti2AlC precipitates not only effectively accommodates the propagation of deformation twins and stacking faults in γ-TiAl through the formation of kink bands and pyramidal slip but also induces the formation of nanotwins within the γ-TiAl, thereby enhancing sustainable strain hardening. During the high-temperature creep process, directional nano-Ti2AlC precipitates inhibited the growth of the B2 phase. Moreover, the dynamic precipitation of nano-Ti3AlC, driven by the high-density solution carbon atoms, could also effectively suppress the degradation of lamellar microstructure and pin dislocations in recrystallized zones of γ-TiAl, thereby improving the high-temperature microstructure stability. These findings open a new path for designing TiAl alloys with exceptional overall performance.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) enables the fabrication of ultrahigh-strength steels with tailored microstructures through intrinsic thermal cycling. Here, an oxide-dispersed Fe-Ni-Ti-Mo maraging steel was produced by dielectrophoretically depositing Y2O3 nanoparticles onto feedstock powder. The as-printed alloy exhibits martensitic cellular grains with similar to 6 vol.% intercellular austenite films following the Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation. Aging at 480 degrees C for 3 h induces concurrent eta-Ni3Ti precipitation and reverse austenite formation, increasing the austenite fraction to similar to 16%. A thermodynamic-mechanical framework combining regular-solution modelling, Scheil-Gulliver solidification, and Patel-Cohen analysis rationalises phase evolution and TRIP behaviour. Multiscale characterisation validates interfacial crystallography and phase partitioning, while strength modelling reveals contributions from solution, dislocation, boundary, and precipitate strengthening. The oxide-modified alloy achieves superior yield strength-ductility synergy (as-printed: 863 MPa, 14.6%; aged: 1714 MPa, 5.3%) compared with the oxide-free counterpart, establishing a thermodynamics-guided design route for LPBF maraging steels.

The ubiquitous threat of impact damage, coupled with the need to protect geometrically complex and vulnerable entities, has rendered advanced flexible protective materials increasingly critical. Inspired by the "brick-and-mortar" design, this work successfully develops a strain-rate dependent flexible composite with ultra-high impact strength based on an interfacial enhancement strategy, utilizing polydopamine (PDA)-modified carbon nanotube film (CNTF) as the reinforcing skeleton ("brick") and shear-thickening gel (STG) as the matrix ("mortar"). The carbon nanotube (CNT) partition network achieves interface locking through the hydrogen bond network formed by PDA and STG, which not only expands the stress transmission path but also effectively suppress the cold flow phenomenon of STG under quasi-static conditions. Under the synergistic effect of the CNT partition network and the shear thickening effect of STG, the maximum engineering stress of P-200% sample is 1150 MPa, and the energy absorption density is more than 400 MJ/m3. Evaluation of the material's performance in stab, smash, and ballistic dent depth (BDD) tests confirms its excellent anti-penetration capacity and structural damage tolerance. This study offers a new framework for the design of partition network and the research on the interface coordination mechanism within the realm of lightweight flexible impact-resistant materials.