A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys.

ABSTRACT: Iron alloys, including steels and magnetic functional materials, are widely used in capital construction, manufacturing, electromagnetic technology, etc. However, they face the long-standing challenge of high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), limiting the applications in high-precision fields. This work proposes a strategy involving the in-situ formation of a nano-scale lamellar/labyrinthine negative thermal expansion (NTE) phase within the iron matrix to tackle this problem. For example, a model alloy, Fe-Zr10-Nb6, was synthesized and its CTE is reduced to approximately half of the iron matrix. Meanwhile, the alloy possesses a strength-plasticity combination of 1.5 GPa (compressive strength) and 17.5% (ultimate strain), which outperforms other low thermal expansion (LTE) metallic ma

SUBMITTER: Lu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11696188 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature