Metallography and Microstructures Archives - Page 3 of 4

Microscopy method creates options for next-gen design

The University of Sydney’s School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering has introduced a new way to decode the atomic relationships within materials. Their new microscopy method has allowed researchers to detect tiny changes in the atomic-level architecture of crystalline materials—like advanced steels for ship hulls and custom silicon for electronics. The technique could advance our ability to understand the fundamental origins of material properties and behavior.

Scientists develop ‘x-ray vision’ technique to see inside crystals

A team of New York University (NYU) researchers has created a new way to visualize crystals by peering inside their structures, similar to having x-ray vision. Their new technique—named Crystal Clear—combines the use of transparent particles and microscopes with lasers that allow scientists to see each unit that makes up the crystal and to create dynamic three-dimensional models.

Tin toughens bioimplant titanium alloys through cocktail effect

Beta (β)-type titanium (Ti) alloys are renowned for their strength, formability, and resistance to harsh environments, making them ideal for implants and prosthetics. However, under certain conditions, a brittle omega phase can form, making the material prone to breaking. While it is known that adding tin (Sn) negates this, and makes β-type Ti alloys stronger, the exact mechanics behind this continued to puzzle scientists. That is until researchers recently discovered a metallurgical cocktail effect to explain it.

Chaco metamaterial paves the way for exciting applications in memory storage

Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, N. M., and Tel Aviv University, Israel, have achieved a breakthrough in material science with the creation of “Chaco,” a revolutionary metamaterial named after the historical site Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

POSTECH researchers maximize the efficiency of hafnia-based ferroelectric memory devices

Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, have significantly enhanced the data storage capacity of ferroelectric memory devices using hafnia-based ferroelectric materials and an innovative device structure.

NSL Analytical Services relocates Metallurgical Testing Laboratory

NSL Analytical Services, Cleveland, Ohio, an independent analytical and metallurgical testing services company serving U.S. and global customers, announces a significant milestone in its growth trajectory with the relocation of one of its two Cleveland-area testing laboratories and the addition of high-temperature stress rupture testing to its offerings.

Unlocking the cause of pitting corrosion in 3D-printed stainless steel

Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, Calif., delved into the mysterious world of pitting corrosion in additively manufactured (3D-printed) stainless steel 316L in seawater. Stainless steel 316L is a popular choice for marine applications due to its excellent combination of mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. This holds even more true after 3D printing, but even this resilient material isn’t immune to the scourge of pitting corrosion. The LLNL team used transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to do a deep-dive microscopy study to figure out what could potentially be responsible for corrosion.

VTT’s investment in a plasma-FIB SEM catapults Finland to forefront of Nordic materials research

The first plasma-focused ion beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope (SEM) in Finland has just become operational at VTT in Espoo, Finland. This multi-million investment will significantly contribute to materials research for applications such as hydrogen economy, microelectronics, and the marine industry, as well as to material damage investigation.

AFM resolution boosted by AI

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), is a widely used technique that can quantitatively map material surfaces in three dimensions, although its accuracy is limited by the size of the microscope’s probe. A new artificial intelligence (AI) technique overcomes this limitation and allows microscopes to resolve material features smaller than the probe’s tip.

Nikon’s AI Reconstruction uses deep learning to deliver fast, clean CT scans

The Nikon Industrial Metrology Business Unit, out of Europe, has released AI Reconstruction, an innovative 3D computed tomography (CT) reconstruction software solution powered by artificial intelligence that lifts the traditional trade-off between scan speed and image quality.

Magnetic force microscope in glovebox images air-sensitive samples

A research team led by Prof. Lu Qingyou from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) achieved a breakthrough by creating a unique magnetic force microscope (MFM) that can image air-sensitive materials without requiring surface protection coatings. The successful development of this glovebox-assisted MFM system marks a significant advancement in scientific instrumentation.

LLNL scientists advance light-responsive material

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., have furthered a new type of soft material that can change shape in response to light, a discovery that could advance “soft machines” for a variety of fields, from robotics to medicine.

How fractures propagate and stop

Harvard scientists, in collaboration with an international and interdisciplinary team of researchers, are exploring how cracks start, propagate, and end. Their findings, detailed in papers published in Nature Physics and AGU Advances, provide a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of fractures and could improve our understanding of material science, earthquakes, and production of geothermal energy, oil, and gas.

Glass materials have an internal clock

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt are investigating the ageing processes in materials. For the first time, they have measured the ticking of an internal clock in glass. When evaluating the data, they discovered a surprising phenomenon.

Corrosion examined on atomic level

When water vapor meets metal, the resulting corrosion can lead to mechanical problems that harm a machine’s performance. Through passivation, it also can form a thin inert layer that acts as a barrier against further deterioration. Either way, the exact chemical reaction is not well understood on an atomic level, but that is changing thanks to environmental transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which allows researchers to directly view molecules interacting on the tiniest possible scale.

Earth’s ancient magnetic field revealed in Mesopotamian bricks

In a new study conducted by University College London researchers, ancient bricks inscribed with the names of Mesopotamian kings have yielded important insights into a mysterious anomaly in Earth’s magnetic field 3,000 years ago.

Artificial intelligence unravels mysteries of polycrystalline materials

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan used artificial intelligence to discover a new method to understand dislocations in polycrystalline materials, materials widely used in information equipment, solar cells, and electronic devices, that can reduce their efficiency.

X-ray microscopy overcomes previous limits

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced that a joint research team led by Professor YongKeun Park of the Department of Physics and Dr. Jun Lim of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory has succeeded in developing a core technology that can overcome the resolution limitations of existing x-ray microscopes.

Predicting grain boundary segregation in magnesium alloys through simulations and machine learning

Magnesium alloys hold promise as a lightweight material to reduce weight in automobiles and transportation systems, but low formability and strength prevent widespread adoption. Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a predictive model to aid magnesium alloy optimization to overcome these challenges.

Stanford University sends semiconductor investigation to the International Space Station

Researchers from Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., sent an investigation to the space station to leverage microgravity to improve the synthesis of materials for photovoltaic devices designed to convert sunlight into electricity for solar energy applications.

Solar Atmospheres of California adds Airbus approval

Solar Atmospheres, Fontana, Calif., has announced that they are now Airbus approved for heat treating.

Frank Trujillo, director of Sales for Solar Atmospheres of California, stated that, “Many Airbus suppliers were in need of a heat treater in the West that could process parts, plates and bars in support of increased Airbus production rates. SCA is proud to be a partner on the Airbus Team!”

With our wide range of furnaces, we are capable of processing very small pieces or loads of 50,000 pounds and up to 24 feet in length. This approval will translate into improved lead-times and greater efficiencies for all Airbus suppliers that require heat treat services in the Western Region.

Read further here.

Predicting grain growth for better materials

New research is helping scientists better understand how microstructures change, or undergo grain growth, at high temperatures, thus determining properties such as hardness. A team of materials scientists and applied mathematicians developed a mathematical model that more accurately describes such microstructures by integrating data that can be identified from highly magnified images taken during experiments.

Testing coatings for corrosion protection

To shield steel from the corrosive threats posed by sea air, Sandia National Laboratories researchers tested a variety of nickel mixtures as protective coatings on stainless steel. The researchers found that the specific material applied, and the specific application process used, impacted the properties of the coating, including how protective it was against corrosion.

Tuning a fundamental material property with an electronic coating

Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed a bilayer coating of an insulator and graphene on top of a semiconductor that can tune the energy required to eject electrons out of the material, potentially making electrochemical devices more efficient.

USTC achieves chemically controlled reversible magnetic phase transition

A research team at the University of Science and Technology of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a groundbreaking chemical method for two-dimensional metal-organic lattices.

Electron-rich metals make ceramics tough to crack

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have discovered a way to make ceramics tougher and more resistant to cracking, by building them with a blend of metal atoms with more electrons in their outer shell, unlocking the potential to enable ceramics to handle higher levels of force and stress than before.

Deep learning uses surface image to look inside

According to researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass., engineers may now be able to figure out what’s going on inside a part—from an airplane wing to a medical implant—simply by observing properties of the material’s surface.

Evident, under new ownership, announces Interim CEO

Evident Corp., Tokyo, announces the appointment of Eric Anderson as Interim CEO. Anderson, a member of the Office of the CEO at the time of his new appointment, takes on the responsibilities of Yoshitake Saito, who assumes the role of chairman.

Squeezing a diamond sandwich produces useful data

Scientists have searched, for decades, for a way to apply the exceptional analytical capabilities of neutrons to materials under pressures approaching those surrounding the Earth’s core. These extreme pressures can rearrange a material’s atoms, potentially resulting in interesting new properties.

Charged ions melt nano gold nuggets

In experiments conducted at TU Wien, Vienna, extremely small pieces of gold, consisting of a few thousand atoms and with a diameter in the order of ten nanometers, are bombarded with highly charged ions. This makes it possible to change the shape and size of these gold pieces in a targeted manner. The effects of the ion bombardment were then studied in an atomic force microscope with surprising results.

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