This article presents an overview of the developments in stainless steels made since the 1990s. Some of the new applications that involve the use of stainless steel are also introduced. A brief introduction to the various classes of stainless steels, their precipitate phases and the status quo of their production around the globe is given first. The advances in a variety of subject areas that have been made recently will then be presented. These recent advances include (1) new findings on the various precipitate phases (the new J phase, new orientation relationships, new phase diagram for the Fe–Cr system, etc.); (2) new suggestions for the prevention/mitigation of the different problems and new methods for their detection/measurement and (3) new techniques for surface/bulk property enhancement (such as laser shot peening, grain boundary engineering and grain refinement). Recent developments in topics like phase prediction, stacking fault energy, superplasticity, metadynamic recrystallisation and the calculation of mechanical properties are introduced, too. In the end of this article, several new applications that involve the use of stainless steels are presented. Some of these are the use of austenitic stainless steels for signature authentication (magnetic recording), the utilisation of the cryogenic magnetic transition of the sigma phase for hot spot detection (the Sigmaplugs), the new Pt-enhanced radiopaque stainless steel (PERSS) coronary stents and stainless steel stents that may be used for magnetic drug targeting. Besides recent developments in conventional stainless steels, those in the high-nitrogen, low-Ni (or Ni-free) varieties are also introduced. These recent developments include new methods for attaining very high nitrogen contents, new guidelines for alloy design, the merits/demerits associated with high nitrogen contents, etc.

Recent developments in stainless steels

Abstract The historical background, research development, and the state-of-the-art of finite time thermodynamic theory and applications are reviewed from the point of view of both physics and engineering. The emphasis is on the performance optimization of thermodynamic processes and devices with finite-time and/or finite-size constraints, including heat engines, refrigerators, heat pumps, chemical reactions and some other processes, with respect to the following aspects: the study of Newton's law systems, an analysis of the effect of heat resistance and other irreversible loss models on the performance, an analysis of the effect of heat reservoir models on the performance, as well as the application for real thermodynamic processes and devices. It is pointed out that the generalized thermodynamic optimization theory is the development direction of finite thermodynamics in the future.

Finite Time Thermodynamic Optimization or Entropy Generation Minimization of Energy Systems

Review on titanium and titanium based alloys as biomaterials for orthopaedic applications.

Silver, known in metallic form since antiquity, has very early been recognized by mankind for its antimicrobial properties, a phenomenon observed, for example, in the context of drinking water (a silver coin in a well), food (silver cutlery, water storage recipients), and medicine (silver skull plates, teeth). Silver compounds were also shown to be useful. For example, dilute solutions of silver nitrate served long, and still do in some countries, as antimicrobial ointment to be instilled into Published in \" \" which should be cited to refer to this work.

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Nanobio Silver: Its Interactions with Peptides and Bacteria, and Its Uses in Medicine

A review of modified DLC coatings for biological applications

Friction behaviour of TiN, CrN and (TiAl)N coatings

Boron, boron carbide, boron nitride, and transition metal borides have many attractive properties, including high melting point and hardness, good wear and corrosion resistance, excellent electrical conductivity, and resistance to attack by molten metals. There therefore appears to be significant scope for enhancing surface properties of metals and ceramics by applying coatings constituted from these materials. Currently, the only commercial coating processes practised have been the thermochemical diffusion techniques termed boronizing or boriding, whereby boron is diffused into, and combines with, the substrate material forming a single or double phase metal boride layer at, and adjacent to, the surface. This review not only describes the various media used for such treatments and their limitations, but attention is also given to the lesser known processes, not yet commercially practised, which provide for the deposition of a wide variety of boron based materials. Such processes, like PVD and CVD...

Engineering the Surface with Boron Based Materials

Tribological behaviour of alumina sliding against Ti6Al4V in unlubricated contact

Potential of improving tribological performance of UHMWPE by engineering the Ti6Al4V counterfaces

Tribological behaviour of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) pins sliding against thermal oxidation (TO)-treated Ti6Al4V alloy discs with different levels of average surface roughness was investigated under water lubrication conditions. When rubbing against a smooth counterface (RaB 0.030‐0.035 mm), UHMWPE was found to be worn predominantly via a micro-fatigue mechanism. To advance the scientific understanding of the microscopic wear mechanisms of UHMWPE, a technique involving permanganic etching coupled with high resolution SEM analyses of wear surfaces and cross-sections was adopted to yield new insight into the micro-fatigue mechanism. It was found that stress-induced preferential orientation of the crystalline lamellae in the UHMWPE led to the origin of ripples containing micro-cracks at their valleys. The cyclic loading promoted lateral propagation and inter-connection of these micro-cracks, thus giving rise to eventual spallation of the surface material as wear debris. Based on the experimental results, a micro-fatigue wear mode is proposed. © 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

T. Bell

Papers

Friction behaviour of TiN, CrN and (TiAl)N coatings

Engineering the Surface with Boron Based Materials

Tribological behaviour of alumina sliding against Ti6Al4V in unlubricated contact

Potential of improving tribological performance of UHMWPE by engineering the Ti6Al4V counterfaces

Tribological behaviour and microscopic wear mechanisms of UHMWPE sliding against thermal oxidation-treated Ti6Al4V