Academic Research Journal•2026•DOI: 10.26599/NR.2026.94908686
Corrosion and icing critically threaten the service safety of magnesium (Mg) alloys in aerospace and transportation industries. Although superhydrophobic coatings offer effective anti-corrosion and anti-icing functions, they are limited by susceptibility to failure due to physical damage or capillary condensation. Here, a multifunctional integrated coating (SAAS) is reported, which endows coated Mg alloys with excellent superhydrophobicity, active anti-corrosion performance, anti-icing properties, and fast self-healing capabilities. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) modified and intercalated with sodium laurate (La) acts as nanoreservoirs, releasing La corrosion inhibitors via an anion-exchange process to retard corrosion. Incorporation of MXene provides full-spectrum high absorption and efficient photothermal conversion, achieving a surface temperature of 61 °C under 1.0 sun illumination, which prevents adhesion and accumulation of supercooled droplets. Near-infrared (NIR) irradiation induces macromolecular chain migration and phase transition, enabling fast self-healing of coating damage. The SAAS coating exhibits a water contact angle of 153°, a corrosion current density of 1.294 × 10⁻⁹ A·cm⁻² (four orders of magnitude lower than bare Mg alloy), an icing delay time approximately 23 times longer than the substrate, and a healing rate of about 0.34 cm·s⁻¹ under NIR. This study provides a novel strategy for enhancing aircraft skin durability and offers insights into multifunctional coating design.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5150-1
Optimizing the mechanical properties and fluidity of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys in high-pressure die casting (HPDC) is critical for manufacturing thin-walled components with large sizes. The performance and fluidity of castings over long flow distances depend on the precise control of solidification behavior during the complex HPDC process. In this study, an AlSi10MnMg alloy was fabricated using a fluidity test mold with three channels of different thicknesses to investigate the influence of varying TiB2 content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and fluidity of the alloy during long-distance filling in HPDC. Results indicate that the addition of 0.018wt.% TiB2 significantly reduces externally solidified crystals (ESCs) and porosity contents, improving the filling distance from 1,700 mm to 1,833 mm. The reduction in ESCs in the castings by TiB2 is attributed to its ability to promote the migration of ESCs from the shot sleeve toward the melt center, where temperature and flow velocity are higher. At a filling distance of 1,300 mm, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and elongation increase notably with addition of 0.018wt.% TiB2. When the addition of TiB2 increases to 0.036wt.%, the area fraction of ESCs in the channel increases compared to that with 0.018wt.%, and the filling distance slightly decreases to 1,796.9 mm. The mechanical properties of the alloy with 0.036wt.% TiB2 are better than those of the alloy with 0.018wt.% TiB2 over short distances, but become inferior beyond 1,000 mm. This work reveals the role of TiB2 in regulating solidification and flow during long-range filling, offering new insights into the processability of HPDC Al-Si alloys.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5185-3
The synergistic mechanism of multiple process parameters on the solidification structure of niobium containing austenitic stainless steel during continuous casting is complex, which seriously affects the quality of continuous casting billets and seamless pipes. In order to optimize the quality of continuous casting billet, a finite element model of solidification and heat transfer in continuous casting process was established for the secondary cooling process of continuous casting billet. The control variable method was used to explore the influence of casting speed and superheat on the solidification process. At the same time, an orthogonal scheme was designed to study the coupling effect of multiple process parameters on the heat transfer and solidification state of continuous casting billets, and optimized process parameters were selected. The optimization results of process parameters were verified through production experiments, and it is found that the enrichment of coarse niobium compounds directly causes the initiation and propagation of inner wall cracks during the large deformation hot piercing of S30432 seamless tubes. Process parameter optimization, especially the synergistic effect of the decrease of superheat and increase of specific water flow promotes the grain refinement and expension of equiaxed crystal zone, thereby mitigating the segregation of Nb elements and improving the distribution of niobium compounds.
China Foundry•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-026-5206-2
A novel cast stainless steel featuring a multiphase microstructure and a nominal composition of Fe-13.5Cr-2.6Si-6.9Ni-1.1Cu-1.1Mn-1.0Mo-0.35Al-0.025C (wt.%) was investigated. Following solution treatment at 1,050 °C and water quenching, the specimens were subjected to further tempering at 570 °C, 610 °C, and 650 °C to explore the effects of critical tempering on microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. Various characterization techniques were employed to examine the phase distribution within the microstructure, with particular attention given to the content and morphology of reverted austenite. Tensile and corrosion tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the specimens. The results reveal that critical tempering significantly enhances the mechanical properties, with the specimen tempered at 610 °C achieving the highest product of strength and elongation (PSE=23.6 GPa·%), whereas corrosion resistance deteriorates with increasing tempering temperature. Calculations of the martensite start temperature (Ms) and stacking fault energy (γSFE) for the reversed austenite in different specimens indicate that the stability of reversed austenite strongly influences mechanical behavior through the TRIP and TWIP effects. However, tempering-induced Cr segregation at ferrite/martensite interfaces and the formation of Cr-depleted zones become more pronounced at higher tempering temperatures, leading to a degradation in corrosion resistance. Furthermore, multiphase coordinated deformation improves the strength-ductility balance, while corrosion tends to initiate at chemically inhomogeneous phase boundaries.
Journal of Central South University•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-026-6256-8
This study integrates true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments with finite-discrete element method (FDEM) numerical simulation to systematically investigate the control mechanisms of interface strength and inclination angle on hydraulic fracture propagation in coal measure strata under different in-situ stress conditions. The results indicate that the fracture propagation path at the rock interface is jointly controlled by the interface strength coefficient (η), the interface inclination angle (θ), and the vertical stress difference coefficient (k). When fractures propagate from soft rock to hard rock, the interface strength coefficient (η) plays a dominant role. The larger the η is, the more likely the hydraulic fracture is to penetrate the interface along the direction of vertical stress. Conversely, when fractures propagate from hard rock to soft rock, vertical stress primarily controls the propagation path. A larger vertical stress difference coefficient promotes interface crossing, while a smaller coefficient tends to cause the fracture to extend laterally along the interface. The interface inclination angle influences the magnitude and direction of the vertical stress component along the interface. A smaller θ facilitates interface penetration by hydraulic fractures, whereas a larger θ leads to fracture propagation along the interface. The complexity of the hydraulic fracture network increases with higher k and θ . Moreover, the complexity of hydraulic fracture morphology exhibits a non-monotonic trend, initially decreasing and then increasing with rising k and θ. This research provides an important theoretical basis for the design and control of hydraulic fracturing in coal measure strata.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01712-5
High-temperature stealth is vital for enhancing the concealment, survivability, and longevity of critical assets. However, achieving stealth across multiple infrared bands—particularly in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) band—along with microwave stealth and efficient thermal management at high temperatures, remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose a strategy that integrates an IR-selective emitter (Mo/Si multilayer films) and a microwave metasurface (TiB2–Al2O3–TiB2) to enable multi-infrared band stealth, encompassing mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR), and SWIR bands, and microwave (X-band) stealth at 700 °C, with simultaneous radiative cooling in non-atmospheric window (5–8 μm). At 700 °C, the device exhibits low emissivity of 0.38/0.44/0.60 in the MWIR/LWIR/SWIR bands, reflection loss below −3 dB in the X-band (9.6–12 GHz), and high emissivity of 0.82 in 5–8 μm range—corresponding to a cooling power of 9.57 kW m−2. Moreover, under an input power of 17.3 kW m−2—equivalent to the aerodynamic heating at Mach 2.2—the device demonstrates a temperature reduction of 72.4 °C compared to a conventional low-emissivity molybdenum surface at high temperatures. This work provides comprehensive guidance on high-temperature stealth design, with far-reaching implications for multispectral information processing and thermal management in extreme high-temperature environments.
New Carbon Materials (新型炭材料)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1872-5805(NCM2026-41-02-05)
Due to the inherent limited dielectric loss of carbon materials, their attenuation ability and impedance matching are often unsatisfactory. To overcome these problems, hierarchical structures and combined microwave loss mechanisms have attracted considerable attention in the development of high performance microwave absorbers. In this work, biomass cattail was used as a sustainable precursor to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube arrays decorated with Fe3C nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition. The resulting cattail-derived carbon-based tubular composites (Fe3C@NCNTs/CMTs) feature a unique Fe3C-coated, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube structure. The influence of crystallinity, tuned by calcination at different temperatures, on microwave absorption was investigated. Remarkably, at 800 °C, Fe3C@NCNTs/CMTs achieved a minimum reflection loss of –35.8 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 7.02 GHz at a thickness of only 1.7 mm, even at an ultralow filler loading of 10%, effectively covering the entire Ku band and part of the X band. The excellent microwave absorption performance is attributed to the combined contribution of increased magnetic loss and multiple dielectric polarization mechanisms. This study shows a promising strategy for designing biomass-derived carbon-based broadband microwave absorbing materials.
Atomic Energy Science and Technology (原子能科学技术)•2025•DOI: 10.7538/yzk.2025.youxian.0385
With its growth in spacecraft control applications, the microcontroller (MCU) becomes increasingly sensitive to radiation and the risks of system failure. In a radiation environment, the MCU is vulnerable to impacts from high-energy particles, which can lead to single-event effect (SEE) that disrupt normal system operations. The pipeline of MCU, being the core structure of the system, is particularly susceptible to single-event upset (SEU) and potentially causes execution failures. However, existing radiation-hardening techniques offer limited effectiveness for pipelines. To enhance SEU resistance, this study focused on a 32-bit MCU core with eight pipeline stages, proposing a pipeline hardening approach that utilizes lockstep technology to improve fault tolerance. Signals from two processors were compared including register write data, register contents and pre-fetched instructions. Any discrepancies triggered error flags to indicate faults. When an error flag was raised, recovery was initiated through an interrupt. The interrupt handler then retrieved state information from the advanced peripheral bus (APB) slave module to restore the CPU’s operational state and resume execution. By combining hardware-based state preservation with software-driven error recovery, the proposed solution demonstrated significant improvements in fault tolerance rates and performance compared to traditional checkpoint-based techniques. After completing the pipeline hardening design, a fault injection platform was utilized in this paper to simulate real-world error conditions on internal processor modules. The platform was developed based on the circuit’s register-transfer-level (RTL) design and statistical results. The fault injection platform was performed by automatically finding all registers within the target design. The register values were forced to upset at the tens of nanoseconds scale in the RTL description of the circuit’s design. After running the circuit’s functional simulation, the statistics of the faults in registers were displayed on the platform, which evaluated the influence of SEU. The vulnerability of SEU in the circuit could be observed from the results of the soft error statistics. The post-hardening soft error rates were then measured and compared to pre-hardening data, providing a quantitative evaluation of the improvements. Using this method, the soft error rates of the modules in the MCU core such as PFU, DPU, and Cache AXIM are 40.07%, 26.36%, and 27.29% respectively before hardening. The soft error rates of modules mentioned above are reduced to 0%, 0.69%, and 1.11% after hardening. The hardened and non-hardened designs of the entire core were implemented in FPGA. The total resource utilization of the triple mode redundancy (TMR) is 111 984, as indicated by the number of look-up tables (LUTs) and registers consumed in the FPGA. The total resource utilization of this work is 78 034, and the ratio of resource utilization between this work and TMR is approximately 69.68%. The error recovery time for the hardened MCU processor was analyzed using the completion cycles of a bubble sort algorithm as a benchmark. In this paper, the average recovery cycle using the software checkpoint roll-back method is 36 479.06, and the average recovery cycle using this work is 26 922.5. The ratio of recovery cycles between this work and checkpoint roll-back is about 73.8%. Assessments through random fault injection and FPGA implementation indicate that this approach effectively reduces processor faults caused by soft errors while optimizing resource utilization and efficiency over triple-modular redundancy.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(25)67029-4
Ru nanoparticles (NPs) supported on CeO2−Mg(OH)2 composite nanosheets, donated as Ru/CeO2−Mg(OH)2, are developed as the highly active catalyst for selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. Characterization results demonstrate that Ru NPs are adsorbed on the surface of the polyhedra of CeO2, which are scattered on the surface of the thin Mg(OH)2 nanosheets. Ru/CeO2−Mg(OH)2-0.2 achieves 92.6% conversion of furfural and 96.3% selectivity to furfuryl alcohol. Ru/CeO2−Mg(OH)2-0.2 retains high activity after six cycles, due to the introduction of CeO2 to form composite support that effectively prevents the leaching of Ru NPs. The strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) between Ru NPs and the CeO2−Mg(OH)2 composite support can tune the electronic structure of Ru NPs, which facilitates the H2 activation. Moreover, the CeO2−Mg(OH)2 interface exhibits specific adsorption of C=O bonds compared to the CeO2 alone. The composite-supported nanoparticles provide a valuable strategy for constructing highly efficient hydrogenation catalysts.
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(25)66955-X
The effect mechanism of electroshock treatment (EST) on microstructure evolution and mechanical property variations of Ti−8Al−1Mo−1V alloy was investigated. The results show that EST results in the phase transformation from the acicular secondary αs to β phase. While the EST time is 0.12 s, the acicular martensitic phase (αM) precipitates. The results of electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) reveals that the average grain size decreases from 3.95 to 2.53 μm after EST, indicating that the grains are refined, and the significant recrystallization behavior and martensitic transformation occur. The orientation distribution reveals a more uniform distribution of texture, which is caused by the variation of crystal orientation after the phase transformation. The compression fracture behavior of materials indicates that EST significantly enhances the yield strength while reduces the fracture strain. The improvement of yield strength is mainly attributed to the precipitation of martensitic phase. All results indicate that EST is an effective approach for manipulating the microstructure and optimizing the texture distribution of titanium alloys.
Int. Journal of Mining Science and Technology (采矿与安全工程)•2025•DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.06.003
Developing hydrothermal resources in highly conductive karst aquifers at deep mine floors is regarded as a potential approach to achieving the co-development of coal and geothermal resources. However, the heat transfer potential of the fracture system in the target reservoir under mining activities remains in suspense. Hence, a coupled thermal–hydraulic-mechanical model was developed for the karst reservoir of Anju coal mine in China, considering non-isothermal convective heat transfer in fractures. This model examined the influence of stress redistribution due to different mining distances (MD) on the effective flow channel length/density and the high/low-aperture fracture distribution. The dynamic heat generation characteristics of the geothermal reservoir were evaluated. Key findings include: Mining-induced stress creates interlaced high-aperture and low-aperture fracture zones below the goaf. Within these interlaced zones, the combined effect of high- and low-aperture fractures restricts the effective flow channel length/density of the fracture network. This contraction of the flow field leads to a significant decline in production flow rate, which consequently reduces both the production flow rate and power as MD increases. This work represents the study of mining disturbances on geothermal production, providing a theoretical foundation for the co-development of coal and geothermal resources.
China Foundry•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s41230-025-5018-9
Abstract: Although the strengthening and grain refinement effects of TiB2 particles on aluminum alloys have been extensively studied, their influence on casting behavior remains relatively underexplored. In this study, the influence of different addition amounts of submicron TiB2 particles on the microstructure, casting performance, and mechanical properties of an Al-Cu (ZL205A) alloy was systematically investigated. The introduction of TiB2 particles leads to significant grain refinement, transforming the microstructure from coarse grains to fine equiaxed grains by providing additional nucleation sites and inhibiting grain growth. SEM and TEM analyses reveal that the added submicron TiB2 particles exhibit minimal effect on the distribution of intermetallic phases or precipitates. Casting performance, as evaluated by spiral fluidity and hot tearing tests, shows notable improvements with TiB2 additions. At a TiB2 content of 3wt.%, the fluidity length increases by 20%, and the hot tearing susceptibility coefficient decreases by 29%. These enhancements are mainly due to the refined grain structure and the formation of interdendritic bridging in TiB2-reinforced alloys. However, the overall enahncement in casting properties shows little variation across the TiB2 additions from 0.2wt.% to 3wt.%. Mechanical testing shows that the highest hardness and strength are achieved with a 1wt.% addition of TiB2 particles, primarily attributed to refined grain size and reinforcement of the aluminum matrix. Based on these findings, a TiB2 particle content of 1wt.% is recommended for optimizing both the casting performance and mechanical properties of the ZL205A alloy.
Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering•2025•DOI: 10.1186/s10033-025-01287-7
The state of the art is reviewed for the crashworthiness of railway vehicles in aspects of materials, energy absorbing structures, train collision simulation and experiments. The recoverable and nonreversible energy absorbers are introduced for railway vehicles first. Metallic and non-metallic materials play a crucial role in the energy dissipation process. Thin-walled structures at vehicle ends are the main energy absorbers in train collisions, which include the deformation tube, crush box, deformable anti-climber and vehicle end structures. It is necessary to build a specific dynamic model for subway and high-speed trains, which includes gas-hydraulic buffers and energy absorption devices. Furthermore, train crashworthiness could be improved with the help of crash energy management. The train collision is commonly studied by numerical methods and experiments. The research method mainly depends on the primary purpose. The simulation depending on numerical methods should be validated by related experiments. The methods provide theoretical support for train crashworthy design.
Journal of Central South University•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s11771-025-6041-0
The effects of pre-compression and pre-aging on the age-hardening response and microstructure of Mg-9.8Sn-3.0Zn (wt.%) alloy have been investigated via hardness test and advanced electron microscopy. The alloy subjected to both pre-compression and pre-aging exhibits the most refined and densest distribution of precipitates upon aging at 200 ℃, leading to the superior age-hardening performance observed in the alloy. Comparatively, the alloy that underwent only pre-aging displayed a greater number density of precipitates than its counterpart that was neither pre-compressed nor pre-aged when both were aged to their peak conditions at 200 ℃, indicating an enhanced age-hardening response in the pre-aged alloy. The precipitates in these three peak-aged alloys consist of Mg2Sn and MgZn2 phases. The reason why the pre-aged alloy has a higher number density of precipitates than the directly aged alloy is that MgZn2 phase formed during pre-aging can serve as heterogeneous nucleation site for the formation of Mg2Sn. The reason why the pre-compression and pre-aged alloy has the highest number density of precipitates is that Mg3Sn and MgZn2 phases formed during pre-aging, alongside lattice defects introduced during pre-compression, collectively act as effective heterogeneous nucleation sites for the formation of Mg2Sn during the subsequent aging at 200 ℃.
Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s12613-024-2896-6
During the continuous casting process of high-Mn high-Al steels, various types of gases such as Ar need to escape through the top of the mold. In which, the behavior of bubbles traversing the liquid slag serves as a restrictive link, closely associated with viscosity and the thickness of liquid slag. In contrast to two-dimensional surface observation, three-dimensional (3D) analysis method can offer a more intuitive, accurate, and comprehensive information. Therefore, this study employs a 3D X-ray microscope (3D-XRM) to obtained spatial distribution and 3D morphological characteristics of residual bubbles in mold flux under different basicity of liquid slag, different temperatures, and different holding times. The results indicate that as basicity of slag increases from 0.52 to 1.03, temperature increases from 1423 to 1573 K, the viscosity of slag decreases, the floating rate of bubbles increases. In addition, when holding time increases from 10 to 30 s, the bubbles floating distance increases, and the volume fraction and average equivalent sphere diameter of the bubbles solidified in the mold flux gradually decreases. In one word, increasing the basicity, temperature, and holding time leading to an increase in the removal rate of bubbles especially for the large. These findings of bubbles escape behavior provide valuable insights into optimizing low basicity mold flux for high-Mn high-Al steels.