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Magnetically actuated soft microrobots hold promise for biomedical applications that necessitate precise control and adaptability in complex environments. These microrobots can be accurately steered below their step-out frequencies where they exhibit synchronized motion with external magnetic fields. However, the step-out frequencies of soft microrobots have not been investigated yet, as opposed to their rigid counterparts. In this work, we develop an analytic model from the magneto-elastohydrodynamics to establish the relationship between the step-out frequency of soft sperm-like microrobots and their magnetic properties, geometry, wave patterns, and the viscosity of the surrounding medium. We fabricate soft sperm-like microrobots using electrospinning and assess their swimming abilities in mediums with varying viscosities under an oscillating magnetic field. We observe slight variations in wave patterns of the sperm-like microrobots as the actuation frequency changes. Our theoretical model, which analyzes these wave patterns observed without exceeding the step-out threshold, quantitatively agrees with the experimentally measured step-out frequencies. By accurately predicting the step-out frequency, the proposed model lays a foundation for achieving precise control over individual soft microrobots and enabling selective control within a swarm when executing biomedical tasks.

Mobile microrobots have gained increasing attention in biomedical applications because they can be precisely actuated to targeted positions in a tiny space. However, their use in biomedical applications is hindered by the costly and complicated fabrication method. Herein, a facile fabrication method is proposed to produce magnetic alginate microrobots with adjustable dimensions, including teardrop and tadpole shapes, via tunable centrifugally-driven flows. The formation of these microrobots is interpreted by finite element analysis, revealing that the transition between the dripping and jetting regimes of the flow alters the microrobot's shape. The dimensions of the microrobots are quantitatively analyzed based on the flow's extrusion velocity, controlled by nozzle diameters and revolution speeds. Incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into the alginate-based hydrogel enables the microrobots to exhibit distinct motion patterns under a magnetic field. The teardrop-like microrobot can reach a maximum rolling velocity of approximately 2.7 body length s−1 at 2 Hz, while the maximum stick-slip velocity of the tadpole-like microrobot reaches about 0.42 body length s−1 at 5 Hz, comparable to the existing bioinspired magnetic microrobots. These two motion patterns allow the microrobot to overcome obstacles and navigate in vertically constrained environments, respectively. Last, an ultrasound imaging system is deployed to monitor the locomotion and degradation of the microrobots, showing their potential for targeted drug delivery applications.

In this work, a combination of in-situ high synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction were used to systematically investigate the activation and evolution of the deformation mechanisms in an as-cast Fe42Mn28Co10Cr15Si5 metastable high entropy alloy deformed until fracture at room temperature. This work unveils the critical role of the dual-phase γ-f.c.c. / ε-h.c.p. microstructure on the deformation response of the alloy. The different deformation modes, i.e., slip, transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) and transformation induced twinning (TWIP), were seen to initiate at different loading stresses and then to overlap. Quantitative microstructural characterization, which included the evolution of the phase fraction, stress partitioning, dislocation density, c/a ratio and lattice strain for different planes, was performed to elucidate the role of each phase on the macroscopic mechanical response of the metastable high entropy alloy. Furthermore, the magnitude of the different strengthening contributions has been quantified for the first time.

Friction stir processing (FSP), an innovative local microstructural modification technique for bulk material, has been used to process Monel alloy. A detailed microstructural analysis was conducted by acquiring high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The local tensile properties and hardness nanoindentation were obtained for the different FSP area zones. The coarse equiaxed grain structure of 18.9 μm average grain size at the base material (BM) has been dynamically recrystallized refined equiaxed grains of an average grain size of 3.6 μm in the stir zone (SZ) where the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) has an average grain size of 10.7 μm. The grain structure at the interface of the SZ and TMAZ consisted of mixed fine recrystallized grains and coarse deformed grains. The SZ is dominated by significantly refined grains, with the highest fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) of about 71%. The point-to-point misorientation measured by Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) indicates low values in the SZ compared with the highest values at the interface between SZ and TMAZ. In terms of tensile properties, the yield strength of TMAZ and SZ improved to 380 and 440 MPa, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) also increased by 18% from 499 to 593 MPa in TMAZ and 37% from 499 to 699 MPa in the SZ. The maximum nano hardness found in the TMAZ of about 7.13 ± 1.92 GPa due to the high density of the substructure. However, the SZ slightly increased to 3.88 ± 0.22 GPa from 3.33 ± 0.17 GPa of the BM.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising multi-component alloys with unique combination of novel microstructures and excellent properties. However, there are still certain limitations in the fabrication of HEAs by conventional methods. Additive manufactured HEAs exhibit optimized microstructures and improved properties, and there is a significantly increasing trend on the application of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in producing HEAs in recent years. This review summarizes the additive manufactured HEAs in terms of microstructure characteristics, mechanical and some functional properties reported so far, and provides readers with a fundamental understanding of this research field. We first briefly review the application of AM methods and the applied HEAs systems, then the microstructure including the relative density, residual stress, grain structure, texture and dislocation networks, element distribution, precipitations and the influence of post-treatment on the microstructural evolution, next the mechanical properties consisting of hardness, tensile properties, compressive properties, cryogenic and high-temperature properties, fatigue properties, creep behavior, post-treatment effect and the strengthening mechanisms analysis. Thereafter, emerging functional properties of additive manufactured HEAs, namely the corrosion resistance, oxidation behaviors, magnetic properties as well as hydrogen storage properties are discussed, respectively. Finally, the current challenges and future work are proposed based on the current research status of this topic.

Zn-Al-Mg coatings are important materials for the corrosion protection of steel sheets. However, susceptibility towards cracking limits the formability performance of these coatings. In this study, we focus on the effect of the underlying steel substrate on cracking behavior in these coatings. In order to elucidate this, a high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel substrate and an interstitial-free (IF) steel substrate are coated with two different ZnAlMg coatings with and without binary eutectic microstructures. Meticulous in-situ tensile and bending tests are conducted in a scanning electron microscope. To quantify the strain distribution and damage incidents, micro and macro digital image correlation techniques are utilized in order to illuminate the associated cracking causes across length scales. Furthermore, electron backscatter diffraction method is applied to study the role of crystallographic orientation on the cracking tendency. Crack opening and crack area fractions are correlated with the applied strain and bending angles. The findings denote that the discontinuous yielding (Lüders banding) of the HSLA steel substrate generates substantial surface roughening and heterogeneous deformation in the coatings that facilitates cracking. In contrast, the IF steel induces a more uniform deformation within the coatings leading to much reduced crack size and crack area fraction. This study has resulted in a key element of a guideline towards crack-resistant and formable Mg-alloyed zinc coatings.

Pure copper and Cu-Zn plates were friction stir welded under the same condition to evaluate the effect of stacking fault energy on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the joints. For this aim, microstructure and texture of the joints were systematically characterized by electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, to study the mechanical properties of the different microstructural zones of the joints, nanoindentation tests were employed. The results showed that in pure copper, continuous dynamic recrystallization was the only restoration mechanism for the formation of new grains. By adding zinc into copper, namely decreasing stacking fault energy, both continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization mechanisms occurred. To this end, the effect of stacking fault energy on the restoration mechanisms has been summarized by schematic models. Moreover, the effect of the restoration mechanisms on the yield strength and strain hardening behavior of the joints has been scrutinized. Keywords: Friction stir welding, Stacking fault energy, Dynamic recrystallization, Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

In-depth investigation of the microscale deformation behavior of ZnAlMg coatings is essential to reveal the origin and mechanism of cracking in these coatings. In this work anisotropic microstructural damage and cracking of multiphase Zn1.8Al1.8Mg alloy coatings produced by hot-dip galvanization process on a steel substrate have been studied extensively. Nanoindentation coupled with orientation image microscopy (OIM) is utilized to determine the local micro ductility/strength of the existing phases as well as the orientation dependent micromechanical properties of primary zinc grains. Plastic deformation and damage behavior of the coating are evaluated through in-situ tensile/bending tests, micro-digital image correlation and in-situ OIM analyses. Stress distribution fields and nucleation sites of cracks within the coating microstructure are investigated using extended finite element method. Three quantitative plastic deformation-based criteria are revealed to correlate the coating microstructure to micro-mechanical properties to comprehend the cracking phenomenon. In particular, the binary eutectic is identified as the most detrimental constituent for compatible plastic deformation. Local strain hardening exponent and Schmid factor of primary zinc grains are found to play a significant role in clarifying the cracking behavior. The results of this study are considered as an important step towards designing microstructure controlled ZnAlMg coatings with superior formability. Keywords: ZnAlMg coatings, Microstructural damage, Cracking behavior, In-situ test, Digital image correlation, OIM