Bioinspired fish-scale-like magnesium composites strengthened by contextures of continuous titanium fibers:Lessons from nature

Natural fish scales demonstrate outstanding mechanical efficiency owing to their elaborate architectures and thereby may serve as ideal prototypes for the architectural design of man-made materials.Here bioinspired magnesium composites with fish-scale-like orthogonal plywood and double-Bouligand architectures were developed by pressureless infiltration of a magnesium melt into the woven contextures of continuous titanium fibers.The composites exhibit enhanced strength and work-hardening ability compared to those estimated from a simple mixture of their constituents at ambient to elevated temperatures.In particular,the double-Bouligand architecture can effectively deflect cracking paths,alleviate strain localization,and adaptively reorient titanium fibers within the magnesium matrix during the deformation of the composite,representing a successful implementation of the property-optimizing mechanisms in fish scales.The strength of the composites,specifically the effect of their bioinspired architectures,was interpreted based on the adaptation of classical laminate theory.This study may offer a feasible approach for developing new bioinspired metal-matrix composites with improved performance and provide theoretical guidance for their architectural designs.

Wear-resistant Ag-MAX phase 3D interpenetrating-phase composites:Processing,structure,and properties

Electrical contact materials are generally Ag-or Cu-based composites and play a critical role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of electrical equipments and electronic instruments.The MAX(M is an early transition metal,A is an element from III or IV main groups,and X is carbon or/and nitrogen)phase ceramics display a unique combination of properties and may serve as an ideal reinforcement phase for electrical contact materials.The biological materials evolved in nature generally exhibit three-dimensional(3D)interpenetrating-phase architectures,which may offer useful inspiration for the architectural design of electrical contact materials.Here,a series of bi-continuous Ag-Ti_(3)SiC_(2) MAX phase composites with high ceramic contents exceeding 50 vol.%and having micron-and ultrafine-scaled 3D interpenetrating-phase architectures,wherein both constituents were continuous and mutually interspersed,were exploited by pressureless infiltration of Ag melt into partially sintered Ti_(3)SiC_(2) scaffolds.The mechanical and electrical properties as well as the friction and wear performance of the composites were investigated and revealed to be closely dependent on the ceramic contents and characteristic structural dimensions.The composites exhibited a good combination of properties with high hardness over 2.3 GPa,high flexural strength exceeding 530 MPa,decent fracture toughness over 10 MPa·m^(1/2),and good wear resistance with low wear rate at an order of 10^(-5)mm^(3)/(N·m),which were much superior compared to the counterparts made by powder metallurgy methods.In particular,the hardness,electrical conductivity,strength,and fracture toughness of the composites demonstrated a simultaneous improvement as the structure was refined from micron-to ultrafine-scales at equivalent ceramic contents.The good combination of properties along with the facile processing route makes the Ag-Ti_(3)SiC_(2)3D interpenetrating-phase composites appealing for electrical contact applications.

Corrigendum to“Bi-continuous Mg-Ti interpenetrating-phase composite as a partially degradable and bioactive implant material”[Journal of Materials Science&Technology 146(2023)211-220]

The authors are very sorry for their carelessness that there are some problems with Fig.3 in the original manuscript.

Bioinspired tungsten-copper composites with Bouligand-type architectures mimicking fish scales

The microscopic Bouligand-type architectures of fish scales demonstrate a notable efficiency in enhancing the damage tolerance of materials;nevertheless,it is challenging to reproduce in metals.Here bioinspired tungsten-copper composites with different Bouligand-type architectures mimicking fish scales were fabricated by infiltrating a copper melt into woven contextures of tungsten fibers.These composites exhibit a synergetic enhancement in both strength and ductility at room temperature along with an improved resistance to high-temperature oxidization.The strengths were interpreted by adapting the classical laminate theory to incorporate the characteristics of Bouligand-type architectures.In particular,under load the tungsten fibers can reorient adaptively within the copper matrix by their straightening,stretching,interfacial sliding with the matrix,and the cooperative kinking deformation of fiber grids,representing a successful implementation of the optimizing mechanisms of the Bouligand-type architectures to enhance strength and toughness.This study may serve to promote the development of new high-performance tungsten-copper composites for applications,e.g.,as electrical contacts or heat sinks,and offer a viable approach for constructing bioinspired architectures in metallic materials.

Ice-templated porous tungsten and tungsten carbide inspired by natural wood

The structures of tungsten and tungsten carbide scaffolds play a key role in determining the properties of their infiltrated composites for multifunctional applications.However,it is challenging to construct and control the architectures by means of self-assembly in W/WC systems because of their large densities.Here we present the development of unidirectionally porous architectures,with high porosities exceeding 65 vol.%,for W and WC scaffolds which in many respects reproduce the design motif of natural wood using a direct ice-templating technique.This was achieved by adjusting the viscosities of suspensions to retard sedimentation during freezing.The processing,structural characteristics and mechanical properties of the resulting scaffolds were investigated with the correlations between them explored.Quantitative relationships were established to describe their strengths based on the mechanics of cellular solids by taking into account both inter-and intra-lamellar pores.The fracture mechanisms were also identified,especially in light of the porosity.This study extends the effectiveness of the ice-templating technique for systems with large densities or particle sizes.It further provides preforms for developing new natureinspired multifunctional materials,as represented by W/WC-Cu composites.

Effects of Metalloid B Addition on the Glass Formation,Magnetic and Mechanical Properties of FePCB Bulk Metallic Glasses

Low-cost Fe;P;C;B;（x = 0,1,2,3 and 4 at.%） bulk metallic glasses（BMGs） with good soft magnetic and mechanical properties were prepared,and effects of metalloid B addition on the glass-forming ability（GFA） as well as thermal,magnetic,and mechanical properties of the BMGs were investigated.It was found that the proper B substitution for P improves the GFA of the Fe-P-C BMGs.The alloy with2 at.%B addition manifests the highest GFA with critical diameter for glass formation of 2 mm.Besides,these BMGs exhibit good soft magnetic properties featured by high saturation magnetization of 1.35一1.57 T and low coercivity of 2.2-7.7 A/m as well as unique mechanical properties of high fracture strength of;.3 GPa and visible plastic strain of 0.4%-2.5%.The combination of high GFA,good soft magnetic and mechanical properties as well as low cost makes the present Fe-P-C-B BMGs promising as soft magnetic materials for industrial applications.

Large-sized CuZr-based Bulk Metallic Glass Composite with Enhanced Mechanical Properties

A large-sized CuZr-based bulk metallic glass （BMG） composite with enhanced mechanical properties is prepared successfully. With the addition of Ta to CuZr-based alloys, the critical composite size changes and the microstructure diversifies. The composite with 0.5 at,% Ta addition has the largest critical size with the microstructure of single CuZr（B2） phase uniformly dispersing in amorphous matrix. This composite exhibits good mechanicat properties, i.e., large compressive plasticity and work-hardening ability, which should be attributed to the uniformly distributed CuZr（B2） phase. The increased critical size of CuZr-based BMG composite can be explained by the fact that proper Ta addition can suppress the precipitation of crystalline phases other than B2 CuZr phase during solidification. This study may be helpful for the fabrication of large- sized BMG composites with excellent mechanical properties.

Bi-continuous Mg-Ti interpenetrating-phase composite as a partially degradable and bioactive implant material

Mg(and Mg alloys)and Ti(and Ti alloys)are two important classes of metallic implant materials which are respectively completely degradable and non-degradable after implantation.Making composites composed of them offers the promise for combining their property advantages for bone repair.Here,we present a Mg-Ti composite fabricated by pressureless infiltration of pure Mg melt into 3D printed Ti scaffold,and demonstrate a potential of the composite for use as new partially degradable and bioactive implant materials.The composite has such architecture that the Mg and Ti phases are topologically bicontinuous and mutually interspersed in 3D space,and exhibits several advantages over its constituents,such as higher strengths than as-cast pure Mg and Ti scaffold along with lower Young’s modulus than dense Ti.Additionally,the degradation of Mg phase may induce the formation and ingrowth of new bone tissues into the Ti scaffold to form mechanical interlocking between them;in this process,the Ti scaffold provides constant support and Young’s modulus adaptively decreases toward that of bone.Despite the accelerated corrosion than pure Mg,the composite remains non-cytotoxic and does not cause obvious adverse reactions after implantation as revealed by in vitro and in vivo experiments.This study may offer a new possibility for combining mechanical durability and bioactivity in implant materials,and allow for customized and targeted design of the implant.

Continuous ice-templating of macro-porous materials with uniformly ordered architecture

Ice-templating technique offers a viable means for constructing ordered macro-porous architectures in materials;nevertheless,it is generally limited by a low efficiency for fabrication,large difficulty for manipulation,along with the small dimension,and poor structural uniformity of icetemplated materials.Here,a new approach was exploited for continuous ice-templating of uniformly ordered macro-porous materials based on the establishment of a large,stable temperature gradient with specific bi-directional designs at the freezing front by descending the front toward the cooling medium to accommodate its upward growth.The freezing rate was markedly increased with the dimension of frozen body notably enlarged as compared with the case for conventional static ice-templating technique.The macro-porous architecture of materials,taking zirconia ceramics as an example,was made much finer and more uniform over the entire sample,and exhibited better ordering of alignment and enhanced inter-connectivity between lamellae.This led to an improvement in the compressive strength and its stability along the height direction for ice-templated materials than those made by the static ice-templating technique at a similar porosity.This study may facilitate the scale up of ice-templating techniques and promote the exploitation and application of new high-performance materials.

Natural Cornstalk Pith as an Effective Energy Absorbing Cellular Material

The replacement of synthetic foam materials using natural biological ones is of great significance for saving energy/resources and reducing environmental pollutions.Here we characterized the microstructure and mechanical properties of natural cornstalk pith,which has a large annual output yet lacks an effective exploitation,and evaluated its feasibility for applications as a substitute for synthetic foam materials.The cornstalk pith was revealed to be a cellular material composed of closed cells elongated along the growth direction of com plant and reinforced by well-aligned vascular bundles penetrating the foam matrix.The compressive behavior is featured by a stable stress plateau which is favorable for energy absorption with its mechanical properties largely dependent on the hydration state and loading configuration.In particular,the initial dimension and mechanical properties of cornstalk pith can be effectively recovered after deformation simply by hydration treatment owing to swelling effect caused by the turgor pressure from osmosis.The cornstalk pith demonstrates an outstanding combination of low density and high energy absorption efficiency among various foam materials,specifically with its plateau stress and energy absorption comparable or even superior to those of some typical synthetic foam materials.These along with the huge resources and good biodegradability make it a promising natural energy absorbing cellular material for replacing synthetic counterparts.

Friction and wear behavior of bioinspired composites with nacre-like lamellar and brick-and-mortar architectures against human enamel

Friction and wear performance is critical for dental materials which are inevitably subject to reciprocating friction against opposing teeth in applications.Here in-vitro friction and wear behavior of bioinspired ceramic-polymer composites,which possess nacre-like lamellar and brick-and-mortar architectures and resemble human teeth in their stiffness and hardness,against human tooth enamel were quantitatively investigated to imitate actual service conditions in line with standardized testing configuration.The composites were revealed to exhibit different wear mechanisms and lead to differing extents of wear to the opposing tooth enamel depending on their specific architectural types and orientations.In particular,the brick-and-mortar architecture displayed much less wear than the lamellar one,without obviously roughening the contact surfaces with enamel owing to its high ceramic content,and as such did not accelerate the wear of enamel as compared to smooth ceramics.Such characteristics,combined with its unique stiffness and hardness matching those of human enamel as well as the good fracture toughness and machinability,endow the composite with a promising potential for dental applications.This work may provide an experimental basis to this end and may also give insights towards designing new bioinspired wear-resistant materials for reducing friction and wear.