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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Published on: June 27, 2022

Electric current-driven heterogeneous microstructures in dual-phase titanium alloys.

Shaojie Gu^1,2,3, Yasuhiro Kimura^4,5, Yi Cui⁶

¹Department of Micro-Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. shaojie.gu@mech.kumamoto-u.ac.jp.

Nature Communications

|April 13, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel, energy-efficient method using pulsed electric current to create advanced titanium alloy heterostructures. This breakthrough enhances both strength and ductility, overcoming traditional material limitations.

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Published on: July 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Metallurgy
Nanotechnology

Background:

Heterostructures offer a route to overcome the strength-ductility trade-off in structural materials.
Conventional methods for creating heterostructures are often energy-intensive and difficult to scale.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a rapid and energy-efficient method for creating hierarchical multiphase heterogeneous microstructures in titanium alloys.
To investigate the underlying phase transition mechanisms responsible for enhanced material properties.

Main Methods:

Single-step high-density pulsed electric current treatment applied to dual-phase titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb).
In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for observing microstructural evolution.
Pre-micromachined structure analysis to understand phase transitions.

Main Results:

Achieved a hierarchical multiphase heterogeneous microstructure with 5-6 phases across multiple length scales (1 nm to 10 µm).
Demonstrated a breakthrough in the strength-ductility trade-off, with significant increases in both strength and ductility for treated alloys.
Identified a novel electron wind-driven precipitation mechanism of nanoscale α' martensite within β phases.

Conclusions:

The pulsed electric current treatment is a rapid (milliseconds) and energy-efficient ( >50% reduction in energy consumption) method for producing advanced metallic heterostructures.
This approach offers a promising strategy for designing next-generation structural materials with superior mechanical properties.
The discovered phase transition mechanism provides new insights into materials processing and modification.