This study assessed the influence of thermomechanical processing techniques on the microstructural evolution, mechanical integrity, and biodegradation behavior of Mg-3Zn-3Sn (ZT33) and Mg-3Zn-3Sn-3Li (ZTL333) alloys. Rietveld refinement indicated that the addition of lithium (Li) changed the lattice parameters. In contrast, hot extrusion caused complete dynamic recrystallization (DRX), changing the coarse dendritic structures into a refined, uniform microstructure (18.4 mu m for E-ZTL333). The extruded ZTL333 alloy exhibited the standards for cortical bone, with a hardness of 68.52 HV and a Compressive yield strength of 417.26 MPa. Electrochemical and immersion studies in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) revealed that microstructural uniformity and Li-modulated surface alkalinity are the most important factors for long-term stability. These factors cancel out the natural reactivity of Li and encourage the promote the deposition of Ca-P-rich bioactive minerals with a Ca/P ratio close to that of hydroxyapatite (HA). These results indicate that the processing technique is the most important factor in matching the mechanical strength with controlled degradation. This makes E-ZTL333 a promising candidate for biodegradable orthopedic implants.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are good candidates for biodegradable orthopedic implants, but they still have problems with their fast breakdown and poor mechanical performance. A new quaternary alloy system Mg-3Zn-3Sn-xLi (x = 0-5 wt.%) was created for this study. The effects of adding lithium (Li) and the extrusion process on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and in vitro corrosion behavior were carefully studied. Adding Li helped refine the grains and make the microstructure more uniform. Extrusion strengthened the material and increased its corrosion resistance by eliminating casting flaws. X-ray diffraction showed that all the alloys had alpha-Mg, Mg 7 Zn 3 , and Mg 2 Sn phases. However, Li 2 Sn 5 only formed when the Li content exceeded 4 wt%. Adding too much Li accelerated corrosion due to micro galvanic effects, even though it strengthened the matrix. Among the investigated compositions, the extruded Mg-3Zn-3Sn-3Li alloy exhibited the most balanced performance, showing a low corrosion current density of 56.45 & Mcy;a/cm 2 in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), a high compressive strength of 415.26 MPa, a wear rate of 2.72 & times; 10-7 g/N.m, and a hardness of 68.52 HV. These results indicate that the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of the alloy are greatly improved by adding 3 wt% Li during extrusion. Therefore, the extruded biodegradable Mg-3Zn-3Sn-3Li alloy is a very promising candidate for next-generation orthopedic implants.

The discovery of high-performance thermoelectric (TE) materials remains a grand challenge in energy science, typically constrained by slow, high-throughput screening and empirical intuition. Here, we report on the emergent intermetallic compound Fe–Cu–Sn, a previously uninvestigated TE system computationally predicted using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model that took optimized TE properties as input. We transition from the predicted solution to a rigorous experimental validation, with the primary focus being a comprehensive metallurgical investigation. The results demonstrated that the optimal performance was achieved via the Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) route. The resultant nanostructured Fe–Cu–Sn sample exhibited synergistic transport properties, driven by the energy filtering effect at nanoscale Fe2Sn and Cu6Sn5 phase boundaries. The low κL was attributed to dual-mechanism phonon scattering, characteristic of a crystalline-electron–phonon-glass structure. Critically, the experimental results validated the ANN model’s core prediction, confirming its high accuracy in identifying the optimal electronic composition.

This work presents a comprehensive study on the synergistic microstructural and tribological optimization of an A1050/Al-Ag-Sc/A1050 multilayer laminated system processed by up to nine accumulative roll bonding (ARB) cycles. Through combined FE-SEM-EBSD analysis, tensile testing, microhardness evaluation, and sliding wear measurements, a direct correlation between deformation-induced microstructural refinement, texture evolution, and multifunctional property enhancement is established. Progressive grain subdivision governed by continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), with limited localized continuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX), led to the formation of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure with a high fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) and a weakened rolling texture. These transformations increased hardness from ∼ 62 to ∼ 95 HV, yield strength (YS) from 166 to 412 MPa, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from 205 to 420 MPa, while elongation remained moderate at ∼6.3% even at the highest deformation level. Concurrently, wear rate decreased from 9 × 10−6 to 1.56 × 10−6 mm3·m−1 and the coefficient of friction (COF) from 0.60 to 0.20, demonstrating an ∼83% improvement in wear resistance. Fractographic analyses confirmed a controlled transition from deep dimple rupture to fine dimple-shear mixed fracture without brittle cleavage, maintaining ductile failure mechanisms throughout processing. The novelty of this study lies in unveiling the cooperative role of nanoscale precipitation, texture weakening, and recrystallization-controlled grain boundary engineering in simultaneously promoting mechanical strength and tribological durability. These findings highlight ARB as an effective processing strategy for designing lightweight aluminum alloys with balanced structural integrity and surface wear resistance for demanding engineering applications.

In this study, 316 L stainless steel/MWCNT nanocomposites containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt.% CNTs were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The effects of CNTs on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and wear behavior were systematically examined. SS 316 L powder was milled for 10 h, then CNTs were mixed for 1 h before consolidation of the nanocomposite powders. Powders and nanocomposites were characterized using XRD, OM, Raman, EDX, and SEM. Mechanical properties were evaluated by hardness, compression, and wear testing, while corrosion behavior was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization with Tafel analysis. Milling reduced powder size from 8 to similar to 1 mu m (87.5 %). The 1.5 wt.% CNT sample showed the lowest porosity (similar to 58 % reduction), and achieved the highest hardness (539.7 HV) and compressive strength (1174 MPa) due to grain refinement, carbide formation, and effective load transfer. Moreover, the development of a harmonic structure contributed to the simultaneous enhancement of both strength and toughness in this sample. The nanocomposite containing 2 wt.% CNTs exhibited the highest wear resistance, the lowest coefficient of friction (similar to 23 % reduction), and about 63 % lower weight loss and wear rate, which was attributed to the extensive presence of CNTs. A 1.5 wt.% CNT addition also yielded the highest polarization resistance (311 k Omegacm(2)) and the lowest corrosion current density (1.27 mu A/cm(2)), and a similar to 91 % reduction in corrosion rates (12.66 to 1.09 mu m/year). These improvements are attributed to the formation of a nanostructured oxide network and the uniform dispersion of CNTs, which act as effective barriers against chloride ingress.

This research provides insight into the effect of strain path-dependent texture evolution on the electrochemical behavior of nanostructured AA2024 aluminum alloy in a phosphate buffer solution (pH = 8.3). To achieve this, AA2024 alloy sheets were processed using two methods: accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and cross accumulative roll bonding (CARB), i.e., rotating the sheets 90 degrees around the normal direction (ND) axis between each cycle. The ARB-processed AA2024 alloy exhibited a pancake-shaped structure and included texture components of Copper {112}<111>, Brass {011}<211>, P {110}<221>, and S {123}<634>. Meanwhile, the CARB-processed AA2024 alloy had extremely fine and equiaxed nano-grains (< 100 nm) and texture components of S {123}<634>, Brass {011}<211>, Goss {011}<100>, Rotated Cube {001}<110>, and P {110}<221> after eight cycles. Electrochemical studies demonstrated an increase in corrosion current density due to high imposed strains in the ARB route, which in effect made the conditions of passive layer formation more difficult and lowered the corrosion resistance. Additionally, achieving a more uniform distribution of extremely fine grains and {011} orientation textures such as Brass {011}<211>, Goss {011}<100>, and P {110}<221> texture components in the CARB route, provided ideal conditions for forming oxide passive films with superior protection properties compared to ARB. These unique findings can contribute to the broader application of crystallographic-orientation-dependent electrochemical behavior of alloys in the field of corrosion management.

The dry sliding wear behavior of the aluminum nanocomposite with titania nanoparticle reinforcement has been investigated. It had been manufactured by atmosphere plasma spraying (APS) and subsequently up to seven cycles of accumulative roll bonding (ARB). The values of microhardness displayed during those seven cycles of ARB increased from 41.4 to 70.4 Vickers, respectively. Then, the amount of weight loss from the first four cycles of ARB increased from 0.0150 to 0.0383 g, indicating the decrease in wear resistance. However, after the fourth to seventh cycles of ARB, this amount decreased from 0.0383 to 0.0247 g, indicating an increase in wear resistance. The measured friction coefficient values displayed some fluctuations in the sliding distance of wear tests after the first to third ARB cycles. In higher stages of nanocomposite manufacturing, the trend of friction coefficients to the end of the sliding distance showed nearly consistent and uniform values. Finally, the depth and width of wear were measured by SEM and a profilometer. The results indicated that the wear width increased from approximately 1 to 6 mm, and the change in the geometrical form of wear depth was visible for all the ARB cycles.

Herein, the effect of post-weld heat treatment on the tensile properties of friction stir-welded (FSW) joints of nano/ultrafine-grained (NG/UFG) AA2024 alloy sheets produced by accumulative roll bonding (ARB) was investigated. Continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallizations were the main mechanisms of microstructure evolution in the stir zone of joints. As a result of recrystallization and larger grain sizes achieved during FSW, the ARB followed by FSW improved ductility and strain hardening. The ARB specimens had yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation values of 265 MPa, 450 MPa, and 7 %, respectively. FSW-welded ARB specimens showed yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation of 230 MPa, 440 MPa, and 11 %, respectively. After T6 treatment, there was an increase in tensile and yield strength of 550 and 310 MPa, respectively, due to the Orowan looping mechanism, which reduced the elongation of the specimen. In conclusion, FSW was suggested as a method of joining the NG/UFG AA2024 alloy sheets while highly retaining the refined microstructure.

In this study, the electrical resistivity behavior and phase evolution of Cu₂Se–1 wt

Herein, the synergistic influences of grain refinement and crystallographic texture development on the electrochemical behavior of the nanostructured AA2024 aluminum alloy were systematically investigated in a phosphate buffer solution (pH = 8.3). For this purpose, AA2024 alloy sheets were severely deformed at room temperature through cross accumulative roll bonding (CARB), i.e., each cycle was followed by a 90 degrees rotation around the normal direction (ND) axis. The microstructure of the CARB-processed alloy after the eighth cycle showed a uniform structure with ultrafine grains with sizes of 150-100 nm. The dominant texture components became more intense at their initial cycles, but as the number of CARB cycles increased, the components became stable. Texture components such as S {123}< 634 > , Brass {011}< 211 >, Goss {011}< 100 >, Rotated Cube {001}< 110 > , and P {110}< 221 > were predominant after eight cycles. Moreover, it was revealed that the decreasing grain size and uniform distribution of extremely fine grains and high-intensity {011} orientation textures, such as Brass {011}< 211 > , Goss {011}< 100 > , and P {110}< 221 > texture components, had a positive role in the electrochemical responses of the AA2024 alloy with the increase of CARB cycles. Finally, these findings suggest that cross accumulative roll bonding processing can effectively condition a thick and less defective passive layer with superior protection properties.

The correlation of deformation route changes and crystallographic texture with the electrochemical properties of AA2024 aluminum alloy in a phosphate buffer solution (pH = 9) was investigated. Commercial 2024 aluminum alloy sheets underwent up to eight cycles of processing at room temperature using two different deformation routes: accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and cross accumulative roll bonding (CARB), involving a 90 degrees rotation around the normal direction (ND) axis between each cycle. The ARB-processed AA2024 alloy exhibited an elongated lamellar ultrafine-grained structure and included texture components such as Copper {112}<111>, Dillamor {4 4 11}<11 11 8>, S {123}<634>, Brass {110}<221>, and P {110}<221>. Meanwhile, the CARB-processed AA2024 alloy had a near equiaxed ultrafine grain structure with a size of 150-100 nm and texture components including Copper {112}<111>, Brass {011}<211>, P {110}<221>, Rotated Cube {001}<110>, S {123}<634>, and Goss {011}<100>. The study revealed that the variation of electrochemical properties during different deformation routes was closely linked to texture manipulation and microstructure. The lamellar ultrafine-grained structure resulting from the ARB processing route increased the corrosion current density, whereas the opposite trend was observed in the CARB route. Moreover, it was concluded that the combination of uniform grain refinement and high-intensity {011} orientation textures achieved through CARB processing provided ideal conditions for forming a passive layer with superior protection properties.

The tensile strength, impact property and thermal stability of polyamide 6 (PA6) reinforced with carboxylic acid-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with 1 and 2 wt.%, and short glass fibre (SGF) with 10 and 20 wt.%, were investigated. The morphological properties were examined by SEM. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also carried out to explore the thermal stability and crystallinity of nanocomposites. For determining the optimal weight percentage of reinforcements, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The effect of nanotubes and weight percentages of fibre on the tensile and impact properties was investigated by analysis of variance. The results indicated that the incorporation of MWCNTs to PA6 increased the tensile and impact strength of the matrix by 16% and 24%, respectively. Also, the addition of SGFs to polyamide improved the mechanical properties. The results also showed that the nanocomposite containing 1 wt.% MWCNTs and 20 wt.% SGFs had the highest properties (66% increase for tensile and 81% increase for impact strength compared to neat PA6). The DSC results confirmed the effect of reinforcements on thermal characteristics of nanocomposites. The validation of output models of responses implies the ability of models to predict the tensile and impact behaviour of composites.

The pursuit of novel thermoelectric (TE) materials with exceptional properties stands as a critical frontier in material science. This transformative endeavor demands a paradigm shift in materials discovery, necessitating the integration of cutting-edge computational approaches. In this groundbreaking study, we employ the power of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to accelerate the identification of promising TE candidates. By meticulously training an ANN model on a comprehensive dataset of TE compounds and their corresponding properties, we have established a powerful tool capable of accurately predicting atoms that can be substituted into a TE material's structure to achieve desired TE properties. Our findings, validated the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) dataset, demonstrate the exceptional accuracy of the ANN model, with an r2 detection coefficient of 0.97 in the best architectural case. This underscores the transformative potential of ANNs in propelling materials discovery forward, offering a promising avenue for the development of next-generation TE devices.

For the first time, Ni25Co20Cu10Fe25Mn20 high entropy alloy (HEA) was employed as a sintering aid for fabrication of ZrB2-based ceramics using spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. The mechanical properties, phase evolution, microstructural changes, and the densification mechanisms of ZrB2-5 wt% HEA ceramics during the SPS step were scrutinized. The ZrB2-5 wt% HEA ceramic, manufactured at 1900 °C, yielded interesting combination of properties, counting a relative density of 96%, a fracture toughness of 6.4 MPa. m1/2, and a hardness of 12.6 GPa. According to XRD patterns, there were ZrC and ZrO2 phases with ZrB2 matrix in the sintered samples. An unknown phase was also observed in the XRD patterns. Based on the history of the NiCoCuFeMn alloy and separation of Cu within the temperature range of 650–850 °C, that phase was related to CuB.

Industry applications of current high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are limited by their prohibitive costs. Here, we present a cost-effective and facile approach to producing nanostructured HEAs with lower cost and exceptional mechanical properties. In the present work, the key was to design a novel cost-effective Fe40Ni25Cr25Mo5Al5 high-entropy alloy with an ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure through cyclic closed-die forging (CCDF) at room temperature for up to six passes. The as-homogenized alloy exhibited a dual-phase structure, with minor [CrMoFe]-rich dendrites dispersed in a nearly homogenous face-centered cubic (FCC) matrix. Increasing CCDF passes resulted in achieving a more homogeneous nanograin, accumulation of dislocations, fragmentation of [CrMoFe]-rich dendrites, and efficient distribution within the matrix, which provided ideal conditions for the development of a nanostructured Fe40Ni25Cr25Mo5Al5 alloy with superior mechanical properties (hardness and wear resistance). The highest microhardness (similar to 843 HV) and the lowest wear rate (similar to (0.9 +/- 0.1) x 10(-5) mm(3).N-1.m(-1)) were obtained in the Fe40Ni25Cr25Mo5Al5 alloy after six CCDF passes. It was suggested that the Rotated Cube {001}<110> texture component of the CCDF-processed alloy contributed positively to the improvement of wear resistance properties. These findings suggest that CCDF processing has the potential to achieve cost-effective nanostructured high-entropy alloys and implement them in engineering and structural applications.

To save time and money before starting the production of a high entropy alloy (HEA), it is important to predict the possibility of HEA formation and the probable final microstructure using the solid solution phase formation thermodynamic rules. In this research, a step-by-step calculation of thermodynamic parameters is conducted to predict the possibility of formation and determine the final properties such as ∆Hmix­, ∆Smix, δr, δχ, Ω, VEC, and Tm for three Ni20Co20Cu15Fe20Mn25, Ni35Co20Cu5Fe5Mn35, and Ni5Co5Cu35Fe35Mn20 HEAs. Based on the obtained results, it is not possible to form a HEA with a solid solution structure for the Ni35Co20Cu5Fe5Mn35 and Ni5Co5Cu35Fe35Mn20 systems due to a low ∆Smix value of 11.28 J.mol-1.K-1. Based on the calculated values of ∆Hmix­, intermetallic compound formation and segregation are predicted for Ni35Co20Cu5Fe5Mn35 and Ni5Co5Cu35Fe35Mn20, respectively.