Although magnesium alloys, as the lightest structural alloys, offer significant potential for automotive applications, their applications remain limited due to their poor formability at room ...temperature. Since the strategies used for improving formability usually result in a degradation of strength, there are no high strength magnesium alloys showing good formability. Here we report an alloy design concept that can simultaneously provide high strength and good formability. Such designed alloy when subjected to an appropriate processing technique shows a combination of strength and formability that surpasses those of the existing magnesium alloys reported so far. The alloy design concept used in the present study is based on the utilization of alloying elements that can induce precipitation, as well as maximize the segregation of other texture-controlling alloying elements. Such developed alloy is expected to broaden the application of Mg alloy sheets, which are now starting to gain acceptance by automotive industries.
The microstructure evolution and tensile properties of a newly designed Fe-21Mn-10Al-1C-5Ni (wt.%) lightweight steel subjected to two annealing conditions (inducing partial recrystallization and full ...recrystallization) and subsequent aging treatment have been investigated. In the as-annealed condition, the microstructure of the steel consists of polygonal B2 particles along grain boundaries of recrystallized austenite grains and plate-shape B2 particles within unrecrystallized austenite grains, with no B2 bands. In addition, there is a formation of nano-sized κ-carbide and D03 particles within austenite grains and B2 particles, respectively. Subsequent aging promotes the formation of intragranular κ-carbide and D03 nanoparticles within austenite grains and B2 particles, respectively. As a result, the present steel shows an ultrahigh yield strength of 1.6 GPa after aging, which is mainly due to the presence of fine B2 particles within austenite grains and along grain boundaries as well as the additional strengthening effect of nano-sized κ-carbide and D03 particles present in austenite grains and B2 particles, respectively. The steel possesses good ductility (total elongation of 20%) even at such an ultrahigh strength level in the as-aged condition, surpassing the tensile properties of other B2 and κ-carbide strengthened lightweight steels.
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Abstract
We introduce a novel transformation-induced plasticity mechanism,
i
.
e
., a martensitic transformation from fcc phase to bcc phase, in medium-entropy alloys (MEAs). A VCrFeCoNi MEA system ...is designed by thermodynamic calculations in consideration of phase stability between bcc and fcc phases. The resultantly formed bcc martensite favorably contributes to the transformation-induced plasticity, thereby leading to a significant enhancement in both strength and ductility as well as strain hardening. We reveal the microstructural evolutions according to the Co-Ni balance and their contributions to a mechanical response. The Co-Ni balance plays a leading role in phase stability and consequently tunes the cryogenic-temperature strength-ductility balance. The main difference from recently-reported metastable high-entropy dual-phase alloys is the formation of bcc martensite as a daughter phase, which shows significant effects on strain hardening. The hcp phase in the present MEA mostly acts as a nucleation site for the bcc martensite. Our findings demonstrate that the fcc to bcc transformation can be an attractive route to a new MEA design strategy for improving cryogenic strength-ductility.
Currently, safe practice in the UK esthetics industry is largely reliant on self-regulatory bodies. If these bodies do not maintain high standards of safety guidelines and properly accredit ...practitioners, patient safety may be at risk. To our knowledge, no studies have addressed cosmetic self-regulatory bodies and their websites on Google, the most commonly used information source. This study aimed to map self-regulatory bodies on Google and evaluate their roles in the current UK esthetics industry.
We conducted a systematic search of Google Search results using eight search terms. The first 100 search results were screened against our eligibility criteria. We searched each website of a self-regulatory body for their requirements to join registers, membership fees, and features listed on the UK government’s criteria for an effective self-regulatory body.
We identified 22 self-regulating bodies for the UK esthetics industry. Only 15% of registers required an in-person assessment of cosmetic skills to qualify for membership. Of the self-regulatory bodies, 65% did not set clear standards and guidelines for practice. No qualifications were required by 14% of surgical and 31% of non-surgical bodies. The mean membership fee was £331.
This study uncovered important information about the self-regulation of the esthetics industry in the UK. A significant majority of self-regulatory bodies did not meet best practices, potentially putting patients at risk. We recommend further studies screening a higher number of pages in a Google Search to scope all other existing self-regulatory bodies, due to the creation of Google “filter bubbles.”
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Surgery represents a major source of carbon emissions, with numerous initiatives promoting more sustainable practices. Healthcare innovation and the development of a digitally capable workforce are ...fundamental in leveraging technologies to tackle challenges, including sustainability in surgery.
A surgical hackathon was organised with three major themes: (1) how to make surgery greener, (2) the future of plastic surgery in 10 years, and (3) improving healthcare outcomes using machine learning. Lectures were given on sustainability and innovation using the problem, innovation, market size, strategy and team (PIMST) framework to support their presentations, as well as technological support to translate ideas into simulations or minimum viable products. Pre- and post-event questionnaires were circulated to participants.
Most attendees were medical students (65%), although doctors and engineers were also present. There was a significant increase in delegates' confidence in approaching innovation in surgery (+20%,
< 0.001). Reducing waste packaging (70%), promoting recyclable material usage (56%) and the social media dimension of public perceptions towards plastic surgery (40%) were reported as the most important issues arising from the hackathon. The top three prizes went to initiatives promoting an artificial intelligence-enhanced operative pathway, instrument sterilisation and an educational platform to teach students research and innovation skills.
Surgical hackathons can result in significant improvements in confidence in approaching innovation, as well as raising awareness of important healthcare challenges. Future innovation events may build on this to continue to empower the future workforce to leverage technologies to tackle healthcare challenges such as sustainability.
The effect of wire drawing on the microstructural evolution and deformation behavior of Fe–Mn–Al–C twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel has been investigated. The inhomogeneities of the stress ...state, texture, microstructure, and mechanical properties were clarified over the cross section of drawn wire with the aid of numerical simulation, Schmid factor analysis, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. The analysis of texture in drawn wire shows that a mixture of and fiber texture was developed with strain; however, the distribution of and fibers was inhomogeneous along the radial direction of wire due to uneven strain distribution and different stress state along the radial direction. It has also been shown that the morphology, volume fraction, and variant system of twins as well as twinning rate were dependent on the imposed stress state. The surface area was subjected to larger strain and more complex stress state involving compression, shear, and tension than the center area, resulting in a larger twin volume fraction and more twin variants in the former than in the latter at all the strain levels. While the surface area was saturated with twins at an early stage of drawing, the center area was not saturated with twins even at fracture, implying that the fracture of wire were initiated at the surface area because of the exhaustion of ductility due to twinning. Based on these results, it is suggested that imposing a uniform strain distribution along the radial direction of wire by the control of processing conditions such as die angle and amount of reduction per pass is necessary to increase the drawing limit of TWIP steel.
Austenitic high-Mn TWinning- and Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TWIP and TRIP) steels are strong candidates for GPa-grade cold-rolled steel sheets. The reduction in C or Mn content from high-Mn ...TWIP steels help generate a TRIP mechanism and prevent serration. However, these high-Mn TRIP steels show low yield strength because of the inherent characteristics of austenite, and often contain a band-shaped segregation of solutes, making the steels acts as hetero-structural materials. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the effects of compositionally-segregated microstructures on tensile properties and serration behavior in precipitation-hardened high-Mn TRIP steels. The present TRIP steels showed high yield strength (778–824 MPa) and an excellent strength-ductility balance, along with serration in their stress-strain curves which could not be explained by existing theories of dynamic strain aging. A considerable amount of martensite was formed step by step as localized deformation bands passed through the specimen gage section, which implied that the serration occurred only when the transformation rate increased substantially. In microstructural aspects, the martensitic transformation occurred sequentially along Mn-segregated bands due to differences in austenite stability and Mn content between high- and low-Mn bands, thereby leading to discontinuous transformation and consequently the serrated flow.
We introduce a novel transformation-induced plasticity mechanism, i.e., a martensitic transformation from fcc phase to bcc phase, in medium-entropy alloys (MEAs). A VCrFeCoNi MEA system is designed ...by thermodynamic calculations in consideration of phase stability between bcc and fcc phases. The resultantly formed bcc martensite favorably contributes to the transformation-induced plasticity, thereby leading to a significant enhancement in both strength and ductility as well as strain hardening. We reveal the microstructural evolutions according to the Co-Ni balance and their contributions to a mechanical response. The Co-Ni balance plays a leading role in phase stability and consequently tunes the cryogenic-temperature strength-ductility balance. The main difference from recently-reported metastable high-entropy dual-phase alloys is the formation of bcc martensite as a daughter phase, which shows significant effects on strain hardening. The hcp phase in the present MEA mostly acts as a nucleation site for the bcc martensite. Our findings demonstrate that the fcc to bcc transformation can be an attractive route to a new MEA design strategy for improving cryogenic strength-ductility.
Abstract
High strength steels are becoming more important than ever before for automotive applications to reduce the weight of automobiles and to ensure the safety of passengers. Since increased ...strength usually results in degraded formability, however, cold forming of high strength steels into final shapes remains a challenge to both automotive manufacturers and suppliers. Here we report novel alloy and processing design concepts that can impart high strength to cold-formable steels, which deviates from the traditional approach of improving the formability of high strength steels. Such designed steel subjected to a designed processing route shows an excellent combination of formability and strength as well as crashworthiness, which is crucial for the safety of passengers in the automobiles. The alloy and processing design concepts used in the present study are based on the utilization of thermally induced austenite to martensite transformation, which imparts high strength to cold-formable austenite by cryogenic treatment.
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