Simultaneously achieving low surface gloss and high scratch resistance remains a major challenge in functional coatings because the rough surface features required for efficient light scattering are mechanically fragile. Moreover, although wax phases can reduce scratch damage by forming lubricating surface layers, their conventional incorporation often disrupts the porous SiO2 architecture needed for gloss reduction. An aqueous-phase interfacial engineering strategy was developed to fabricate hierarchical PE@SiO2-H composite particles for robust matte coatings. Primary SiO2 particles were modified by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), and the grafted trimethylsilyl groups imparted steric hindrance and enhanced organophilicity, thereby suppressing pore collapse and preserving the macroporous structure. The amphiphilic nature of the modified SiO2 enabled dual functionality: its oleophilicity drove spontaneous assembly onto PE wax surfaces to form a uniform core-shell structure (∼20 wt% wax), while its hydrophilicity facilitated aqueous-phase processing. This architecture blocked wax infiltration into SiO2 pores, thereby preserving the light-scattering porous microstructure. During film formation, PE wax migrated to the coating surface along a concentration gradient, forming an ultrathin lubricating layer without compromising the SiO2-induced micro-roughness. As a result, polyurethane (PU) composite coatings containing PE@SiO2-H particles achieved an ultralow 60° gloss of 0.64 GU on leather and 1.30 GU on black-and-white cards, corresponding to matting efficiencies of 93.2% and 98.6%, respectively. These results significantly surpassed those of conventional melt-blended PE-M. Scratch resistance increased from 1H for SiO2 coatings to 4H for PE@SiO2-H coatings. This study provides a hierarchical interfacial engineering strategy for designing multifunctional polymer/inorganic composite coatings that overcome the optical-mechanical trade-off.

In this study, a self-developed additive manufacturing technique, known as rotary spray deposition, was employed to uniformly deposit twin-rich Ag coatings onto Cu surfaces. The impact of the key deposition parameters, including spray distance, flow rate, and duration, on the surface morphology and thickness of the Ag coatings was meticulously investigated to achieve exceptionally high-quality coatings. These coatings exhibited a low resistivity of 1.711 x 10-8 Q m and a high hardness of 145 HV, which was attributable to the high-density twins and stacking faults (SFs) induced by the rotary spray deposition process. Subsequently, nanolamellar structures were produced on the trilayers under extreme machining conditions of current-carrying friction, aided by the use of lubricating oil (polyalphaolefin). The tribological behavior and wear mechanisms of the Ag coatings were systematically examined to determine the optimal load and current parameters for the effective formation of nanolamellar structures within the optimally worn subsurface microstructures. The primary formation mechanism was identified as sliding-induced dynamic deformation, characterized by high strain rates and strain gradients during the current-carrying friction machining process. Moreover, the nanolamellar structures demonstrated a remarkable ability to absorb the stress and strain arising from the current-carrying friction process, thereby enhancing the wear resistance of the Ag coatings. As a result, this technique is anticipated to pave new pathways for the development of nanolamellar structures and high-strength metallic materials. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

This study addresses the premature failure of semi-autogenous (SAG) mill liners by investigating zirconium (Zr) (0, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09 wt%) as a means to enhance the impact-abrasive wear resistance of a low-alloy steels. We demonstrate that Zr addition promotes the formation of finely dispersed Zr(C,N) carbonitrides and refines the microstructure, reducing the secondary dendrite arm spacing from 122.1 mu m to 96.6 mu m. The steel with 0.06 wt% Zr achieves an optimal synergy of properties, including a hardness of 51.0 HRC, Charpy impact toughness of 22.1 J, and tensile strength of 1755 MPa. Correspondingly, its wear resistance under impact-abrasive condition improves by 28.4% compared to the Zr-free benchmark. This enhancement is attributed to the combined effects of grain refinement and second-phase strengthening. Crucially, the superior performance is mechanistically linked to the development of a work-hardened subsurface layer that effectively suppresses crack initiation and propagation-a key mechanism for extending liner service life in high-impact milling environments. Our findings provide a microstructural design strategy for developing more durable wear-resistant steels in heavy industrial applications.

Abstract:To address the difficulty of meeting the practical service requirements of self-lubricating bearings with a single solid lubricant, this study employed Fe and Cu powders as the matrix material and incorporated graphite (G) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as dual lubricants. Fe-Cu-G-MoS2 composite self-lubricating materials were fabricated via powder metallurgy. The influence of varying G- MoS2 ratios on the comprehensive properties (microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological performance) of the Fe-Cu-based composites was systematically investigated. The anti-wear and friction-reducing mechanisms were discussed, and the optimal ratio of the dual lubricant components for Fe-Cu-based self-lubricating bearing materials was determined. The results show that the synergistic use of G and MoS2 as solid lubricants effectively improves the mechanical and tribological properties of the Fe-Cu-based self-lubricating material. When 3wt.% graphite and 3wt.% MoS2 are added, the Fe-Cu-based self-lubricating material exhibits optimal comprehensive performance: a hardness of 214.118 HV0.2, a compressive strength of 537.307 MPa, an average friction coefficient reduced by nearly 45% compared with that of the matrix material (reaching 0.267), and a low wear volume of 0.023 mm³/(N·m).​

Composite materials with gradient structures are ideal candidates for high-temperature thermal protection systems of aerospace vehicles due to their unique properties within distinct regions. Herein, we report a novel method of localized filtrating modification (LFM) for fabricating gradient materials, offering a lightweight design and exceptional thermal protection performance. Notably, the gradient structure results in a density reduction of 37 % and a linear ablation rate of only 1.43 mu m s(-1) after 120 s ablation, which is 75 % lower than that of uniform composites attributed to the reduced heat accumulation at the ablation center. Additionally, the particle refinement by LFM and the self-healing effect of the oxides of (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C prevent the failure of the produced oxide barrier layer. In this work, lightweight gradient composites that can withstand elevated temperatures with excellent thermophysical properties and ablation resistance are developed, providing a universal and adaptable strategy for the design and fabrication of advanced functional gradient materials.

Zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) particle reinforced high-chromium cast iron (HCCI) matrix composites are promising candidate for the wear-resistant components of the key equipment demanded in a series of industrial areas such as mining. However, the poor interfacial bonding between ZTA ceramic particles and HCCI matrix significantly limits the comprehensive properties and service life of such composites. How to construct the metallurgical bonding between ZTA and HCCI matrix remains an open issue. In this study, a novel strategy for constructing the enhanced interfacial bonding between ZTA and HCCI matrix was proposed, i.e. the CuTi alloy powder was coated on the surface of ZTA particle through two-step sintering process. Characterization by SEM, TEM, and XRD revealed that the constructed interface area between ZTA and HCCI matrix comprises three zones. Zone I included Ti2O3 and Cu3Ti3O double reaction layers, which were the reaction products of CuTi alloy powder and ZTA particles. TiO and Cu3Ti3O were observed in zone II. There was a TiC reaction layer in zone III, which was formed by the reaction between CuTi alloy powder and HCCI. The ZTA-HCCI interface is characterized by semi-coherent boundaries, which contribute to enhanced interfacial stability and load transfer capability. The hard interfacial reaction products not only strengthen interfacial bonding but also serve as wearresistant phases, thereby enhancing the composite's durability under severe conditions. As a result, the measured worn depth of the interface layer is reduced by 38% even compared to the HCCI matrix. Moreover, this approach is versatile and suitable for industrial-scale production.

Zinc metal has shown considerable potential for cardiovascular and orthopedic applications due to its excellent biocompatibility and suitable biodegradation properties. However， the high initial release of Zn2+ triggers a severe immune response which leads to cytotoxicity， limiting its further clinical applications. In this paper， epigallocatechin gallate/metal ion （EGCG/Zn， EGCG/Mg， EGCG/Ca） based coatings are developed on pure zinc surfaces and the coating structure， degradation properties， antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility are investigated. The results show that the three coatings have good binding ability. Among them， EGCG/Mg provides optimal corrosion resistance and significantly reduces the degradation rate of the samples， while EGCG/Ca effectively promotes the formation of hydroxyapatite with optimal mineralization ability， and the EGCG coatings effectively inhibit the initial large release of Zn2+ and exhibit superior antimicrobial properties and good biocompatibility. This study further provides new ideas for the development of novel green chemical conversion coatings for zinc and zinc alloys.

With the increasing demand for non-destructive ultra-smooth surface optical components in optical systems, a polishing liquid with asphalt interface modification was proposed for small tool polishing to meet application requirements. Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) promotes the dispersion of abrasive particles, improves the stability of the polishing liquid, and simultaneously reduces the contact angle. Additionally, DBSA regulates the modification effect of mineral oil (MO) on the asphalt polishing pad through emulsification. This process addresses the issue of abrasive particle accumulation on the polishing pad, reduces the average load of effective abrasive particles at the interface, and promotes material removal primarily through mechanically induced chemical bond breaking. Under a scanning area of 20 × 20 µm2, the surface roughness of quartz glass reaches Ra 0.097 nm, providing what we believe to be a novel approach to achieving an ultra-smooth surface without surface or subsurface destruction.

This study presented a powder metallurgy (PM) strategy combining mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) for fabricating the high-performance AlMoNbTaTiZr refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs), which are composed of BCC phases, ordered B2 phases and grain boundary Al4Zr5 intermetallics. By optimizing ball milling processes, SPS sintering temperatures, and Al/Zr content, a relatively high content of B2 phase with a high degree of structural ordering and desired discontinuous Al4Zr5 intermetallics at grain boundaries was achieved. And it was noteworthy that the average grain size of AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr RHEA was only 14.8 mu m, an order of magnitude smaller than that of as-cast AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr RHEA. These endowed the PM AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr RHEAs with a low density (7.4 g/cm3) and significantly improved mechanical properties, especially at 10 0 0 degrees C, with the yield strength of 853 MPa and compressive strength of 929 MPa. Moreover, with a decrease in the content of Al and Zr elements, the yield strength, fracture strength and fracture strain at room temperature for the present PM Al0.5Mo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr0.5 RHEA were up to 2408 MPa, 2783 MPa and 20.8 %, which were approximately 400 MPa and 108 % higher than that of as-cast AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr RHEA, respectively. More importantly, the specific strengths of present PM AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr and Al0.5Mo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr0.5 RHEAs were far higher than that of publicly reported Ni-based superalloys, particularly above 10 0 0 degrees C, having a potential for partial substitution of conventional Ni-based superalloys to meet the dual demands for aerospace's weight reduction and performance improvement. Finally, the microstructure evolution characteristics and strengthening-toughening mechanisms of PM AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr RHEAs were discussed. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

To illustrate the influence of in-situ self-generated nano-phases on the microstructure and properties of composites. In this study, aluminum (Al) matrix composites with different CuO contents (0, 1, 3, and 7 wt%) were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). The results show that the self-generated nano-phases (Al2Cu precipitates and Al-Cu solid solution) were obtained, and their content with an increase in CuO content. The composite with 7 wt% CuO exhibits the best strength and ductility synergy, with a yield strength increase by 222.2% compared to pure Al while maintaining a fracture strain of 30.9%. Orowan strengthening of Al2Cu precipitates account for more than 60% to the total strength enhancement. Furthermore, the wear rate of Al/7% CuO composite decreased by 69.3% than pure Al, and the wear mechanism transitioned from abrasive to oxidative wear with an increase in CuO content. This work not only provides an approach for exploring in-situ self-generated nano-phase reinforced Al matrix composites, but also develops a direction for the application of SLM.

The design of materials with desirable and tailorable properties is a long-standing goal within materials science, where composites represent a key strategy. However, a central dilemma in conventional composite manufacturing is that the thermal energy required to form strong interfacial bonds often simultaneously induces detrimental side effects, including interfacial reactions and reinforcement degradation. To resolve this generic conflict, we introduce a versatile "cold manufacturing" strategy utilizing metallic glasses as matrices. By exploiting an athermal ultrasonic vibration mechanism—which induces transient liquid-like behavior in metallic glasses without thermal activation—we achieve seamless interfacial bonding across diverse conductors, insulators, metals, and non-metals via oxide-layer-penetrating diffusion at ambient conditions. Crucially, successful fabrication underwater and in liquid nitrogen definitively demonstrates the technique's purely athermal nature, avoiding any thermal degradation pathways. By tuning metallic glasses binder ratios and additive compositions, we precisely engineer mechanical properties (Vickers hardness: 400-1450 HV) and magnetic response (saturation magnetization: 0-158.6emu/g), forming robust bonds. This work thus establishes a versatile and fundamentally distinct composite manufacturing platform, opening a generic pathway to multifunctional composites free from the intrinsic limitations of heat.

MOF-based composite phase change materials (CPCM) have been developed as promising solutions for the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries to maintain suitable temperatures. Nevertheless, the discrepancy in the thermal management performance of various MOFs-based and MOFs-derived carbon-based CPCMs awaits investigation. In this work, CPCMs were synthesized by combining polyethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and expanded graphite with three large production metal-organic frameworks, including ZIF-8, Al-fumarate, MIL-101(Cr), whose pore size gradually increased, and their derived carbons. All the CPCMs exhibited excellent shape stability, high thermal stability, and enhanced thermal conductivity, while MIL-101(Cr) exhibited overstrong nanoconfinement effects, leading to the decrease of enthalpy during the phase transition. However, after carbonization, CPCM-MIL-101(Cr)-C achieved the highest melting enthalpy of 99.0 J g- 1 and a higher proportion of ordered carbon domains that enhanced thermal properties. Battery tests under different discharge rates and long-term discharge-charge cycles showed that the CPCMs effectively reduced the peak temperatures of the battery surface even at 5C discharge rate. Economic analysis of such large-production MOFs revealed that CPCMZIF-8 was the most cost-effective at moderate discharge rates, while CPCM-MIL-101(Cr)-C was better under extreme conditions of 5C. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of MOF-based and MOF-derived carbon-based CPCMs for Li-ion battery thermal management, highlighting their practical potential in the battery thermal management field.

High-vanadium wear-resistant steel (HVWRS) particles were introduced into Cu matrix composites using laser cladding-based additive manufacturing in order to enhance the interfacial bonding strength and wear resistance of copper (Cu) matrix composites. The microstructure, phase composition, interface bonding, and microhardness were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energydispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Vickers hardness testing. Tribological behavior was evaluated under dry sliding conditions. The results show that during laser processing, the HVWRS particles underwent remelting and fragmentation into spherical or ellipsoidal droplets due to liquid immiscibility and Marangoni convection, which subsequently solidified within Cu matrix and formed metallurgically bonded interfaces. With increasing HVWRS content from 25 to 40 wt%, the average microhardness increased from 132.6 to 177.3 HV0.2 and the volume wear rate decreased from 1.47 & times; 10- 7 to 0.61 & times; 10- 7 mm3 N- 1 mm- 1. At low reinforcement levels, fatigue spalling dominated the wear mechanism; however, with higher HVWRS content, abrasive wear gradually became predominant. This transition is attributed to improved load-bearing capacity and enhanced resistance provided by the hard carbide phases in the steel particles. The present work demonstrates a promising strategy for fabricating high-strength, wear-resistant Cu matrix composites with strong interfacial integrity through metallurgical bonding enabled by Fe-Cu immiscible system processing.

The Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) lattice structure has the characteristics of high specific strength and excellent energy absorption. However, it suffers from severe stress concentration at the nodes. The leg bone structure of Ranidae exhibits exceptional load-diffusion capabilities, and features high strength at the node, which can buffer and withstand the huge impact force when jumping and landing. Hence, a node-reinforced Bone-inspired Body-Centered Cubic (B-BCC) lattice structure is proposed, derived from the morphology of Ranidae leg bones. The geometric profile of the Ranidae leg bone was extracted, and was fitted using quadratic and circular functions. Subsequently, the 3D model of the B-BCC structure was established by incorporating these biomimetic function curves with the topological features of a traditional BCC lattice. Selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing technology was used to prepare BCC and B-BCC lattice structures. The strength and energy absorption properties were analyzed through quasi-static compression experiments. The deformation behavior and stress field distribution were numerically studied to reveal the regulatory mechanism of bone-inspired design on structural failure modes and stress distribution. The results indicate that bone-inspired design effectively mitigates the stress concentration effect of traditional BCC structure at the nodes, significantly enhancing the compressive strength and energy absorption performance. The B-BCC-3 structure with a porosity of 81.6% exhibits the most pronounced enhancement, with its yield strength and specific energy absorption increasing by 45.8% and 37.3%, respectively. The conclusions of this study provide a new design approach for developing a new generation of high-performance porous metamaterials through biomimetic design.

Nanocrystalline Pt- y ' coatings (NC Pt- y ' ) with embedded Al2 O3 nanoparticles were fabricated on single-crystal superalloy through reactive magnetron sputtering to explore oxidation behavior of NC Pt- y ' at 1050 degrees C. Results indicate that Al2 O3 scale was formed on surface of the coarse-grain structured Pt- y ' coating. However, as oxidation time is prolonged, Al content in the coating decreases, and a multi-layered oxide scale is formed on the surface. In contrast, NC Pt- y ' coating exhibits high oxidation resistance due to a large number of boundaries provided by nanocrystalline structure, which facilitates rapid diffusion of Al. In addition, nano Al2 O3 particles were precipitated in the coating due to mild addition of O into the coating. The nanoparticles distributed at grain boundaries of the coating can inhibit the growth of grains at high temperature. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )

To exploit the combined strengthening effects of nanotwins and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in Cu matrix composites, the nanotwins with a width ranging from 3 to 30 nm were incorporated into the CNTs-reinforced Cu matrix composites using cryogenic rolling and optimizing the initial particle size of the raw Cu powders. The formation of nanotwins in the Cu matrix composite reinforced by only 0.2 wt.% CNTs is accompanied by the increased dislocation density and refined Cu grain size, resulting in much better strength-ductility synergy than the referenced composite without significant nanotwins formation. The analysis of strengthening and toughening mechanisms demonstrates that the strength increment mainly derives from grain refinement strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and nanotwin strengthening. The strength increment from the contribution of the nanotwins accounts for 19.9% of the overall strength increment for the composite. Meanwhile, the retention of good tensile ductility can be reasonably explained by the increased dislocation accommodation ability due to the formed nanotwins and the decreased induced dislocation proliferation.

Nanomaterials crystallization is governed by the complex interaction among interface/surface energy, particle size and growth kinetics. Clarifying how dimensional reduction and particle size regulate crystallization behavior is critical for the controllable synthesis and phase selection of advanced nanomaterials. Antimony (Sb) and its alloys are widely used in electronic devices such as phase-change random access memory (PCRAM) and optical data storage devices, owing to their ultrafast crystallization characteristics and tunable electrical properties. The disorder-to-order transition constitutes a key factor for their applications, and its underlying mechanism requires comprehensive investigation and elucidation. In this work, in situ transmission electron microscopy was used to directly visualize the crystallization dynamics of amorphous Sb nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 5 to 40 nm. Dimension-dependent structural disorder–order transitions governed by surface-energy-dominated, bulk- or substrate-mediated dynamics were directly imaged at atomic spatial resolution. The competition between surface and bulk energetics plays a decisive role in morphology control and nucleation mode selection. This study establishes a universal mechanistic framework for interpreting dimension-governed disorder–order phase transitions in supported metallic and semimetallic nanomaterial systems.

The dynamic modulation mechanisms of second-phase particles on crack propagation in an Al-2.78 γ _S by increasing crack path tortuosity, thereby elevating the critical fracture stress. Upon exceeding the critical value, a sudden increase in microcrack size α leads to a sharp drop in fracture strength. This study provides direct experimental evidence for understanding the toughening mechanisms of second-phase particles and offers a theoretical basis for the strength-toughness design of Al-Cu alloys.

MoS2 nanosheets as a quintessential layered solid lubricant has been demonstrated ultra-low friction in a dry environment due to the weak van der Waals forces arising from interlayer sliding. Nonetheless, MoS2 nanosheets as lubricant additives are susceptible to agglomeration and complicating the attainment of ultra-low friction under air conditions. Herein, the modification and refining of MoS2/CuS nanocomposites were achieved by a one-step liquid-phase laser irradiation technique in atmospheric conditions, which can result in an aqueous-based composite lubricant with excellent dispersion in water. Ball-on-disk rotational friction tests demonstrated that the optimized MoS2/CuS composite aqueous lubricant exhibited excellent anti-wear and friction-reducing characteristics, achieving an ultra-low friction coefficient (COF) of 0.06 and a wear scar diameter (WSD) reduction of 49.5