A strain-rate-controlled microstructural design strategy is proposed to enhance strength-ductility-corrosion resistance synergy in extruded ZK60 magnesium alloy via friction stir processing (FSP). By systematically varying the tool traverse speed (TTS:100 - 200mm/min), the interplay between strain rate and heat input was tailored to regulate dynamic recrystallization (DRX), crystallographic texture, and precipitate stability. FSP induced significant lattice rotation, resulting in orientation transition from prismatic/pyramidal to basal-dominated, which facilitated extensive grain fragmentation, leading to grain refinement from similar to 15 mu m in the extruded state to <8 mu m after processing. Increasing TTS increased the strain rate while reducing heat input, resulting in fine DRX grains, weak basal texture, and enhanced Sigma 13a coincident site lattice (CSL) boundaries. Concurrently, MgZn2 precipitates underwent fragmentation and partial dissolution. Deformation transitioned from slip-dominated parabolic flow in the extruded condition to sigmoidal flow in FSPed samples, governed by {10<(1)over bar>2}< 10 (1) over bar1 > extension twins (ET) activation. The yield strength decreased at 100mm/min due to early ET activation under relatively coarser grains and stronger basal texture, but recovered at higher TTS through grain refinement. Ultimate tensile strength increased post-FSP due to ET-induced geometric hardening. Notably, the sample processed at 200mm/min achieved an excellent strength-ductility synergy, due to combination of refined grains and weakened texture. The refined microstructure, increased Sigma 13a CSL boundaries, and precipitate dissolution collectively suppressed micro-galvanic coupling and promoted uniform surface degradation. As a result, the corrosion current density decreased by more than an order of magnitude compared to the extruded condition, with the lowest observed at 200mm/min.

Corrosion-resistant coatings are essential for extending the service life of magnesium alloys. In this work, quenched-produced diamond (Q-dia) films were deposited on Mg-Ca alloy substrates by physical vapor deposition using high-purity graphite (99.999 %) as the carbon source. To enhance interfacial bonding, three thin interlayers (Al, Ti, and TiC) were examined as interfacial layers. Among them, the TiC interlayer effectively enabled successful adhesion and produced a uniform coating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed dense nanodiamond grains growth with a compact, a defect-free cross section. Electrochemical analyses demonstrated that Q-dia coatings markedly enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg-Ca alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, increasing the corrosion resistance from 0.336 kS2.cm2 to 1.78 kS2.cm2. This enhancement is attributed to the highly compact microstructure of Q-dia grains containing both sp2-and sp3 hybridized-carbon phases, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. These findings highlight Q-dia as promising protective coating films for improving the corrosion resistance and durability of magnesium-based alloys.

Mg alloys are promising lightweight materials for various applications. However, the inferior corrosion resistance limits their broader applications, underscoring the importance of surface modifications of Mg alloys. Anodization of Mg alloys provides good wear resistance but limited corrosion resistance due to their porous and cracked structure. In contrast, layered double hydroxide (LDH) coatings, typically prepared via time-consuming hydrothermal methods, offer unique ion-exchange capability but insufficient barrier protection due to their hydrophilic nature and needle-like structure. To combine the advantages and compensate for the drawbacks of each coating technique, this study develops a series of processes to fabricate a multifunctional corrosion-resistant composite coating on an AZ31 Mg alloy through sequential anodization, Zn-Al LDH electrodeposition, vanadate exchange, and myristic acid (MA) hydrophobic modification. By replacing hydrothermal methods with electrodeposition, the LDH coating process was expedited from hours to 5 min. With the multifunctional composite coating, the corrosion resistance of the AZ31 Mg alloy improves substantially, as evidenced by a 500-fold increase in polarization resistance from 393 S2cm2 to 208,801 S2cm2 and a 300-fold decrease in the corrosion current density from 61.87 & micro;A/cm2 to 0.18 & micro;A/cm2. The enhanced physical barrier protection is attributed to the pore-sealing of electrodeposited Zn-Al LDH on anodized AZ31 and to the MA hydrophobic modification, which transforms the coating surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Furthermore, the incorporation of vanadate species within the LDH interlayer actively inhibits corrosion reaction through vanadate reduction. Ultimately, a multifunctional composite coating with superior corrosion resistance was prepared by an efficient sequential coating process.

Driven by the aggressive scaling of semiconductor devices and the rise of heterogeneous integration, area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) has emerged as a key technique for reducing costs and improving integration precision through its self-aligned capability. However, conventional inhibitor-based selective deposition methods suffer from limitations in materials compatibility, thermal stability, and process integration. Meanwhile, current inhibitor-free approaches typically rely on additional etching steps, which introduce surface damage and increase fabrication costs. To address these challenges, we report an approach that integrates atomic layer nucleation engineering (ALNE) with surface reduction (SR) using a radio frequency substrate-biased plasma. This method enables highly selective, inhibitor-free AlN film deposition by removing adsorbed precursors and suppressing nitride formation on the nongrowth surface (tungsten, W), thereby preserving nucleation selectivity. To further enhance film quality, a remote hydrogen plasma pretreatment is introduced to mitigate plasma-induced degradation on the growth area (silicon dioxide, SiO2) during the ALNE and SR processes. The resulting AlN films exhibit exceptional compositional purity with negligible impurity incorporation, effectively resolving the intrinsic trade-off between nucleation delay and film integrity in AS-ALD. Consequently, a near-perfect selectivity is achieved for over 200 ALD cycles between SiO2 and W surfaces, yielding a selective thickness window exceeding 20 nm. Furthermore, this technique demonstrates robust pattern selectivity and strong scalability down to similar to 20 nm line widths, providing a reliable, high-density, and cost-effective solution for integration in next-generation semiconductor technology nodes.

Magnesium alloys possess high specific strength and excellent thermal conductivity, making them promising materials for lightweight applications such as electronics, automotive, and defense systems. However, their poor wear and corrosion resistance significantly limit their practical use. In this study, Al/AlN/CrAlN multilayer coatings were deposited on ZE53 magnesium alloy using DC magnetron sputtering to enhance surface protection. The substrate bias voltage during CrAlN deposition was varied (-50 V, -75 V, -100 V) to investigate its influence on coating microstructure and performance. Increasing the bias voltage enhanced ion bombardment energy, promoting nucleation and refining columnar grains. The CrAlN film deposited at -100 V exhibited the best mechanical properties, with a hardness of 18.68 GPa, the lowest wear rate (1.83 & times; 10-6 mm3 center dot m- 1 center dot N- 1), and a narrow wear track width (336.9 mu m) under a 4 N load-significantly outperforming the uncoated substrate. Electrochemical tests in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution further confirmed superior corrosion resistance, with a polarization resistance of 43,550.1 Omega center dot cm2 and a corrosion current density of 0.349 mu A center dot cm- 2. Overall, the Al/AlN/CrAlN multilayer coating effectively improves both the wear and corrosion resistance of ZE53 magnesium alloy, demonstrating strong potential for demanding engineering and lightweight structural applications.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are promising biodegradable orthopedic implants due to their bone-like mechanical properties and biocompatibility, but rapid degradation remains a major obstacle. In this study, friction stir processing (FSP) with different traverse speeds was applied to a ZE52 Mg alloy to tailor its microstructure and improve corrosion resistance in simulated body fluid (SBF). FSP refined coarse grains of the base material into fine equiaxed structures, fragmented and homogenized secondary phases, and increased the solid solubility of alloying elements in the alpha-Mg matrix. Electrochemical tests showed that the polarization resistance increased from 346.6 S2 center dot cm2 (BM) to 914.1 S2 center dot cm2 (FSP 1200-200), while the corrosion current density decreased by nearly one order of magnitude. Long-term immersion confirmed delayed pH rise and reduced corrosion depth. These results demonstrate that FSP is an effective strategy to enhance the corrosion performance of ZE52 Mg alloys, providing valuable insights for the development of biodegradable orthopedic implants.

Magnesium alloys are attractive biodegradable materials for biomedical implants; however, their clinical application is severely limited by rapid corrosion in physiological environments. In this study, Quench-produced Diamond (Q-Dia) films were deposited on Mg-Ca alloy substrates at room temperature using the coaxial arc plasma deposition technique. Two surface pretreatments were employed prior to coating: (i) mechanical polishing and (ii) in-situ argon ion (Ar+) etching, to clarify their influence on film formation and corrosion behavior. The surface morphology and bonding structure of the Q-Dia films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, revealing dense diamond-like grain growth with mixed sp(2)/sp(3) carbon bonding and a pronounced D-band feature. Corrosion performance was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 degrees C using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), with bare Mg-Ca alloy as a reference. The Q-Dia coating significantly enhanced corrosion resistance, increasing the polarization resistance from 255 Omega.cm(2) to 2756 Omega.cm(2) and reducing the corrosion rate by more than one order of magnitude. In addition, tribological tests conducted in SBF demonstrated a stable and low coefficient of friction (similar to 0.15), indicating improved surface integrity under wet sliding conditions. A comparative analysis revealed that Ar+ etching is more effective than mechanical polishing in improving the structure, morphology, and corrosion resistance of the Q-Dia coatings. These results demonstrate that Q-Dia films act as an effective protective barrier against corrosive degradation, highlighting their strong potential as surface coatings for biodegradable Mg-based implant applications.

The utilization of magnesium alloys as lightweight structural materials is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly within the fields of electronics, automotive engineering, and defense. These alloys display high specific strength and excellent heat dissipation properties. The magnesium–zinc–rare earth alloy ZE52 displays superior formability and strength-ductility when compared to conventional magnesium alloys. A CrSiN film was deposited on the surface using a sputtering technique with the objective of enhancing wear and corrosion resistance for industrial applications. A CrSi buffer layer was deposited onto the ZE52 substrate prior to the deposition of the CrSiN film, with the objective of enhancing the adhesion between the two materials. The sputtering process for CrSiN films entailed the modulation of the substrate bias voltage. The CrSiN films exhibited a nanocomposite structure comprising CrN nanocrystallites embedded within an amorphous Si3N4, which resulted in enhanced hardness. Upon adjusting the bias voltage, improvements in mechanical properties were observed, with the film hardness and Young’s modulus increasing to 16.5 GPa and 187.4 GPa, respectively. Among the various CrSiN coatings under investigation, the ZE52 alloy that was coated with a CrSiN film deposited at a bias voltage of −50 V and a substrate temperature of 250 °C demonstrated the most favorable performance, exhibiting the lowest wear rate and superior corrosion resistance. In the tungsten carbide wear test with a loading of 4 N, the coating exhibited the lowest wear rate, at 2.2 × 10−6 mm3·m−1·N−1. Furthermore, the coating demonstrated remarkable corrosion resistance in a 3.5% NaCl solution, displaying a corrosion current density of 1.23 μA·cm−2 and a polarization resistance of 1271.4 Ω·cm−2.

In this study, the ZK60Mm alloy (Mm = Ce-based mischmetal) was processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), friction stir processing (FSP), and high-strain rate rolling (HSR), followed by short-term mechanical milling with graphene and palladium. All of the samples processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD) process, followed by short-term ball milling, could absorb similar to 6 wt% of hydrogen within 5 min at 300 degrees C. Results indicate that the addition of Mm, catalyst (graphene and palladium), and short-term ball milling improved hydrogen storage kinetics and capacity. In contrast, the SPD method was less critical for enhancing kinetics and capacity. The FSP-treated sample maintained a capacity of approximately 5 wt% after 200 hydrogenation cycles, showing a reduction of 19 %. The findings highlight the critical role of processing techniques and additives in optimizing the hydrogen storage properties of the ZK60 alloy.

The effects of varying austenitizing and tempering temperatures on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of newly developed 13Cr-2Ni-2Mo martensitic stainless steel for marine and coastal applications were systematically investigated. The findings indicate that the highest hardness and optimal corrosion resistance are achieved with austenitizing at 1150 degrees C. This is due to the dissolution of carbides back into the matrix, which results in solid solution strengthening and an elevated chromium content within the matrix. The steel exhibits the highest hardness when subjected to tempering at 150 degrees C. As the tempering temperature increases, the dislocation density in the matrix decreases, and different carbides precipitate in the order of M3C, M7C3, and M23C6. During the tempering process, reverse austenite forms along the boundaries of martensite laths, exhibiting the phenomenon known as the "austenite memory effect." A competitive relationship between reverse austenite and carbides with regard to carbon has been observed. The precipitation of carbides at tempering temperatures of 450-500 degrees C results in secondary hardening. The 13Cr-2Ni-2Mo steel exhibits the most favorable corrosion resistance when tempered at 150 degrees C, with a corrosion current density of 5.50 x 10-7A/cm2 and a pitting potential of 0.307 V in a 3.5 % NaCl solution. As the tempering temperature increases, the precipitation of M7C3 and M23C6 carbides results in a decrease in the chromium content of the matrix. This leads to the formation of chromium-depleted zones and a looser passivation film structure, which in turn reduces the pitting resistance and corrosion resistance. This study systematically correlates heat treatment, microstructural evolution, mechanical performance, and corrosion behavior of 13Cr-2Ni-2Mo stainless steel, providing insights for optimizing its performance in marine and coastal applications.

In this study, plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) was used to coat biodegradable magnesium-calcium (Mg-Ca) alloys with Al2O3 and ZrO2 multilayer films to enhance their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. To evaluate the trend of multilayer stacking, single-, double-, and four-layer coatings were prepared with a constant total thickness of similar to 20 nm, allowing for direct comparison of layer structure effects on corrosion resistance and mechanical performance. The results showed that the four-layer 2x(Al2O3/ZrO2) films significantly improved corrosion resistance, reducing the corrosion current from 1.63 x 10(-5) A/cm(2) in bare Mg-Ca samples to 1.85 x 10(-7) A/cm(2). These films also exhibited the highest crack resistance and superior mechanical properties compared to the single-layer films. Based on these results, the total film thickness was increased to 1000 cycles to evaluate the biocompatibility further. MG63 osteoblast culture experiments demonstrated that multilayer Al2O3/ZrO2 films promoted significantly better cell adhesion and proliferation compared to single-layer Al2O3 films. These findings highlight the potential of PEALD multilayer Al2O3/ZrO2 coatings for enhancing both corrosion protection and biocompatibility of Mg-Ca alloys, underscoring their suitability for orthopedic implant applications.

Deep cryogenic treatment (DC) is widely applied to martensitic stainless steels to suppress the presence of metastable retained austenite (RA), which may otherwise transform into brittle martensite under deformation and degrade mechanical performance. In this study, a low-carbon 13Cr-2Ni-2Mo martensitic stainless steel was subjected to deep cryogenic treatment for 2 h, followed by tempering at 200–600 °C to investigate carbide evolution and its correlation with mechanical response. At 200 °C, undissolved M23C6 was observed, accompanied by an RA volume fraction of 8.43% which exhibited a hardness of 543.3 ± 5.1 Hv. When tempered at 400 °C, M3C became predominant, corresponding to a hardness of 524.5 ± 5.1 Hv. At 500 °C, the simultaneous precipitation of M3C, M7C3, and M23C6 carbides induced pronounced secondary hardening, which promoted the peak hardness of 559 ± 5.6 Hv. Further tempering at 600 °C resulted in carbide spheroidization M23C6, which resulted in a hardness reduction to 392.2 ± 3.9 Hv while enhancing ductility. These findings reveal that the tempering temperature plays a decisive role in controlling the carbide precipitation sequence and the stability of retained austenite, thereby enabling the design of an optimal strength–ductility balance in deep cryogenically treated martensitic stainless steels.

This study is aimed at elucidating the mechanistic impact of structural evolution of bulk and grain boundary precipitates on the strength-ductility balance in prolonged artificial aged Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. Combining aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations, the transition of bulk eta-phase precipitates, which originated at Zn-terminated interfaces under tensile lattice strain field, was fundamentally explored. Intriguingly, as ageing progressed, significant partitioning of solute-Cu along the interfaces initiated a stacking transition in eta-phase from hexagonal C14 to cubic C15 via di-hexagonal C36 Laves phase structures, leading to a reduction in lattice misfit strengthening. The driving mechanism behind this Laves phase transformation was found to link to interfacial lattice strain and Cu solute atom partitioning. Meanwhile, the aspect ratio of grain boundary S-phase precipitates that sporadically developed from the interconnected clusters present along the grain boundaries was progressively increased with ageing time, contributing to improved mechanical stability of grain boundary precipitates. Prolonged ageing led to a small decrease in tensile strength from 567 MPa to 526 MPa and minor increase in elongation from similar to 11 % to similar to 13 %. The new knowledge derived from the present study has the potential to transform the futuristic design and processing of next generation of aluminum alloys through tailoring of tensile strength and ductility, where the approach will be different from the conventional ageing process.

This study employed the direct current magnetron sputtering process of physical vapor deposition to deposit CrSiN and CrSiN/CrSi multilayer coatings onto Unimax tool steel post oxynitriding treatment. Experimental parameters included various deposition times (1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 h), a gas flow rate of 45/30 (Ar/N2) sccm, a power of 100 W, a voltage of 400 V, a substrate bias of-50 V, and a deposition temperature of 250 degrees C. The results indicate that when deposited for 2.5 h, the CrSiN coatings exhibited a distinct columnar crystal structure and possessed the highest hardness (14.0 GPa) and elastic modulus (241 GPa). When the deposition times were 10 min for CrSi and 2 h and 20 min for CrSiN, the CrSiN/CrSi multilayer coatings demonstrated the best wear resistance (with a wear loss volume of 1.5 x 10-4 mm3 and a specific wear rate of 5.2 x 10-8 mm3 center dot m-1 N-1 under a 5 N load) and strong corrosion resistance (with a corrosion current of 5.2 x 10-6 A center dot cm-2 and polarization resistance of 783 Omega cm2 in a 3 wt% NaCl solution). Transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that the CrSiN/CrSi multilayer coatings exhibited a stable CrN crystal structure alongside Si3N4 amorphous structures.

With the aggressive shrinking size and increasing density of nanoscale transistors in advanced integrated circuits, effective dissipation of heat from hot spots has become a critical concern. To address this issue, aluminum nitride (AlN) has emerged as a promising material due to its high thermal conductivity. By introducing atomic layer annealing (ALA) into each cycle of atomic layer deposition, the crystalline quality of the resulting AlN thin film can be greatly enhanced. Furthermore, the ALA technique enables the establishment of an epitaxial connection with the sapphire substrate, even at a low deposition temperature of only 300 degrees C. The time-domain thermoreflectance analysis reveals that the thermal conductivity of the nanoscale AlN layers prepared with the ALA treatment is linearly dependent on the film thickness, and the values are close to those predicted by the ab-initio calculation under the ballistic transport condition. The result demonstrates that the ALA technique can significantly improve the crystallinity of AlN, thereby reducing phonon scattering caused by structural imperfections as phonons travel ballistically through the nanoscale AlN thin film.

Aluminum nitride (AlN) has emerged as an indispensable material due to its exceptionally high thermal conductivity, wide bandgap, and piezoelectric properties, and has found wide applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics, and electromechanical systems. This study presents a novel hydrogen manipulated atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) method for low-temperature epitaxial growth of AlN thin films at 300 degrees C. By employing sequential exposure to H2 and N2 plasma, this approach effectively mitigates steric effects by removing precursor ligands with the preceding H2 plasma and enhances adatom migration with the subsequent N2 plasma. Extensive characterization, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), XRD reciprocal space mapping and pole figure analysis, highresolution transmission electron microscopy, and nanobeam electron diffraction, confirms the superior crystallinity of AlN and establishes a well-defined epitaxial relationship with the sapphire substrate. High-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals distinct atomic columnar arrangements at the interface, indicating a relaxation of the lattice mismatch in the initial few monolayers. The results demonstrate that the hydrogen manipulated ALE method significantly reduces the deposition temperature required for epitaxial growth of AlN. This advancement holds great promise for improving material integration in microelectronics and optoelectronics, particularly in applications where low-temperature processes are critical.

In recent years, Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) thin films have gained substantial interest due to their exceptional ferroelectric properties and high compatibility with advanced semiconductor technology for non-volatile memory (NVM). However, the ferroelectricity of nanoscale HZO thin films below 10 nm is limited due to the difficulty of increasing the orthorhombic (o-) phase content at the annealing temperatures that can be used in the back-end process, which should not exceed 400 degrees C. In this study, by introducing the atomic layer annealing (ALA) technology during the deposition of the HZO thin film, significant ferroelectricity is realized with an exceptionally high remnant polarization (2P(r)) of similar to 68.6 mu C/cm(2) at a low annealing temperature of 400 degrees C, which sets a new record 2P(r) value for HZO thin films compatible with the back-end process in advanced semiconductor technology nodes. This achievement can be attributed to the facilitated adatom migration enabled by the ALA treatment, which not only enhances the o-phase crystallinity but also allows for the preferred orientation along the polar (002) axis in the out-of-plane direction. Furthermore, the ALA process also eliminates the need for a wake-up process, leading to the realization of wake-up-free ferroelectricity in HZO. The distinguished ferroelectric properties of nanoscale HZO thin films achieved through ALA open up new perspectives in NVM applications.

This study presents a FCC crystal structure medium entropy alloy (MEA) with a nominal composition of Fe-25Mn-5Co-12.5Cr-5Ni-2.5Si (in at. %). The MEA deformed at room temperature exhibits superior mechanical performance compared to benchmark CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys (HEA). The empirical Hall-Petch equation was calculated with a high intrinsic strengthening coefficient of 335 MPa and a grain boundary strengthening coefficient of 634 MPa center dot mu m- 1/2. The deformed microstructure is comprised of planar and wavy dislocations and deformation twins. Cryogenic deformation results in an increase in mechanical strength, brought about by the complex deformed microstructure involving deformation twins and epsilon martensite laths. Addition of silicon to the alloy system increases the atomic misfit of the MEA and decreases the alloy's stacking fault energy (SFE) value, thereby activating the deformation mechanism of FCC-to-HCP martensitic phase transformation. Overall, the study concludes that MEA has the potential to be a more cost-effective alternative to expensive high entropy alloys.

The commercial ZK60 (Mg-5.7 wt%Zn-0.6 wt%Zr) magnesium alloy was used to investigate the effects of organic solvents along with CNTs and graphene on hydrogen absorption characteristics. The ZK60 alloy was plastically deformed via equal channel angular pressing using route BA at 300 degrees C and processed for 12 passes. The mechanically removed chips of deformed ZK60 alloy were milled with 5 wt% graphene or 5 wt% CNTs along with organic solvents (toluene and cyclohexane) in a high energy ball mill at 1725 rpm for 20 h. The kinetics and hydrogen storage were measured using Sievert's apparatus for five cycles at different absorption/desorption temperatures. At 320 degrees C/320 degrees C absorption/desorption temperature, the maximum hydrogen absorption with 5 wt% CNTs and 5 wt% graphene was 7.13 wt% and 7.28 wt%, respectively, reaching more than 98% within 10 min. The additions of CNTs and graphene could significantly reduce the hydrogenation temperature because the hydrogen storage and kinetics at 280 degrees C/280 degrees C were very close to 320 degrees C/320 degrees C. At 320 degrees C/320 degrees C absorption/desorption temperature, the maximum hydrogen absorption of 5 wt% CNTs or 5 wt% graphene with the addition of 1 ml toluene was about 6.5 wt%, and the hydrogen absorption with the addition of 2 ml toluene was reduced to 5.5 wt%. The addition of 2 ml cyclohexane along with CNTs and graphene had maximum hydrogen absorption of 6.3 wt% and 6.9 wt%, respectively, after five cycles of hydrogen absorption/ desorption at 320 degrees C/320 degrees C. At the same absorption/desorption temperature, the number of cycles had no obvious effect on hydrogen storage and kinetics, indicating the absorbed hydrogen was completely released during the desorption process.(c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The iron-based shape memory alloys have found applications in the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries for their light weight and excellent shape memory effects. The shape memory effects and corrosion properties are significantly influenced by additives and heat treatments. Vacuum arc remelting was employed to prepare Fe-10Mn-6Si-4Ni-7Cr-0.3C-mTi/nNb (m = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, n = 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) shape memory alloys. The samples were hot-rolled at 1100°C and solution heat-treated at 1150°C for 1 h. The shape memory effect, microstructure, and corrosion performance of Fe-10Mn-6Si-4Ni-7Cr-0.3C-mTi/nNb were analyzed at higher aging temperatures. The microstructural investigations indicate that large amounts of TiC, NbC, Cr23C6, and Cr7C3 phases are precipitated when aged at 800°C, leading to improvement of the shape memory effect of the alloys. The shape recovery ratio reaches 89.9