🔬 How can we make stainless steels more resilient for the future of clean energy?

Martensitic stainless steels (MSS) play a critical role in demanding energy applications—from fusion reactors and offshore infrastructure to emerging hydrogen technologies. But under extreme conditions, such as intense magnetic fields and neutron irradiation, their microstructure can evolve, affecting performance, reliability, and service life.

Our latest research explores how cryogenic processing (CP) can enhance the microstructural stability of MSS EN X17CrNi16-2 and improve its performance for next-generation energy systems.

In this study, we investigate:

✅ The influence of cryogenic processing under different treatment conditions

✅ The effects of magnetic fields up to 5 T on residual stresses and magnetic behaviour

✅ Changes in mechanical performance through microhardness measurements

✅ Novel time-dependent mechanisms of cryogenic processing using advanced neutron scattering techniques

By combining operando and ex-situ characterization methods, this work provides new insights into the relationships between processing, microstructure, residual stresses, magnetism, and mechanical properties—helping pave the way for more reliable materials in future energy technologies.

📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eyKq8CgZ

Many thanks to my long-term collaborators Dr.-Ing. Matic Jovičević-Klug, Dr. @Levi Tegg, Dr. @James R. Hester, Dr. Jan Čapek, Prof. Efthymios Polatidis, Prof. Julie Cairney, Prof. Jeffrey McCord and PD Dr. Michael Rohwerder, who helped to achieve incredible results and significant progress in the field of cryogenic materials.

➡️ The work was done in collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, University of Sydney, PSI Paul Scherrer Institut and ANSTO.

#CryogenicProcessing #FusionEnergy #EnergyMaterials #NeutronScattering #ResidualStressn #Sustainability #Research #MSCA #MSCACurious

Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of Next Generation Martensitic Stainless Steel for Future Energy Sector

I am delighted to share that our latest research Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of Next Generation Martensitic Stainless Steel for Future Energy Sector has been accepted for publication in Corrosion Science Elsevier. 🥼 🥽

➡️ Link to full article: https://lnkd.in/eZHgBHhe

🔔 In this work, cryogenic processing (CP) is explored as a sustainable and innovative approach to enhance the corrosion resistance of metallic materials for demanding energy-sector applications, including future fusion technologies.

By tailoring the microstructure through cryogenic treatment and subsequent tempering, we demonstrate how CP can improve material stability and corrosion performance in extreme environments. Using a comprehensive suite of advanced characterization techniques—including SEM, EDS, EBSD, XRD, TEM, APT, SPEM, and SKPFM—we were able to directly correlate microstructural evolution with corrosion behaviour.

The findings reveal that the formation of carbides over intermetallic enrichment zones contributes to microstructural stabilization and improved corrosion resistance. This provides new insights into the design of next-generation metallic materials for current and future energy systems.

This study highlights the potential of cryogenic processing as a green technology for engineering materials with enhanced durability and performance under harsh service conditions, e.g. fusion.

Many thanks to all collaborator over last 4 years(Dr. @Levi Tegg, Dr.-Ing. Matic Jovičević-Klug, Assist. Prof. Manoj Prabhakar J, Dr.-Ing. Cristiano Kasdorf Giesbrecht, Dr. @Zygmunt Miłosz, Dr. @Matteo Amati, Dr. Bojan Ambrožič, Prof. Goran Drazic, Dr. Luca Gregoratti, Prof. Julie Cairney and PD Dr. Michael Rohwerder) who contributed to this work.

➡️ The work was done in collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, University of Sydney, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Nanocenter CENN and Kemijski inštitut - National Institute of Chemistry.

#CryogenicProcessing #FusionEnergy #EnergyMaterials #Microstructure #AdvancedCharacterization #Sustainability #Research #MSCA #MSCACurious

Can temperatures as low as −196 °C improve the performance of biodegradable Mg implants?

Our latest research Magnesium Alloy Biomaterials: Innovative Engineering Solutions for Future Biodegradable Implant Materials published in JMR&T (Elsevier) explores exactly this how deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) influences the microstructure, corrosion behaviour, and mechanical properties of Mg-Gd alloys.

Magnesium-based alloys continue to attract significant attention as next-generation materials for temporary orthopaedic and cardiovascular implants due to their excellent biocompatibility, mechanical compatibility with bone, and complete biodegradability.

While alloy design and conventional heat treatments have been extensively studied, the impact of DCT on biodegradable Mg alloys remains largely unexplored.

In our latest study, we systematically investigated the effects of DCT (−196 °C for 8 h, 24 h, and 48 h) on Mg-Gd alloys containing 2, 5, and 10 wt.% Gd.

Using a combination of SEM, XRD, APT, Raman shift spectroscopy, residual stress analysis, electrochemical testing, and microhardness measurements, we evaluated the relationship between cryogenic processing, microstructural evolution, and performance.

Link to article: https://lnkd.in/e6sNC4RB

Key findings include:

✅ DCT induces composition-dependent microstructural modifications.

✅ Mg-5Gd exhibited an increase in hardness after treatment

✅ Corrosion behaviour changed in all investigated alloys following DCT, indicating altered electrochemical responses and passivation characteristics.

✅ Residual stress states and surface oxide formation were influenced by cryogenic processing.

These results suggest that DCT can serve as a promising supplementary processing route for tailoring the mechanical and corrosion performance of biodegradable Mg-Gd alloys, opening new opportunities for advanced biomedical implant materials.

Excited to contribute to the growing understanding of how cryogenic processing can be leveraged in the design of next-generation biodegradable metals.

The work was done in collaboration with our colleagues from Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon.

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#MaterialsScience #Biomaterials #MagnesiumAlloys #BiomedicalEngineering #CryogenicTreatment #Corrosion #Microstructure #OrthopaedicImplants #CardiovascularImplants #SustainableMaterials #Research #Engineering