ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | NOVEMBER 2026 7 The team is preparing for pilot- scale testing, with the goal of developing a commercial product within five years. www.uq.edu.au. METAL ALLOYS RESIST COLD CRACKING A research team from the University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory discovered a micro- scopic mechanism that allows two metal alloys to remain damage-tolerant even at temperatures as low as 20 K. The new study focused on two experimental niobium-titanium-base alloys, which remained significantly resistant to cracking with no measurable transition to brittle behavior at the lowest temperature tested. The scientists say this is due to the alloys effectively switching how they deform as they enter the deep freeze. Typically, bending and deformation of bcc metals relies on the movement of dislocations in their crystal structure. At low temperatures, these become increasingly difficult to move, restricting the material’s ability to deform around a crack and making a fracture more likely. However, in the alloys studied, a different process takes over. The team observed nanoscale twinning coupled with a local transformation of the crystal structure. When these newly formed structures reach the boundaries between neighboring crystals, they create points of stress that trigger new defects in the metal. These defects then allow the material to keep deforming rather than cracking. “Using these insights, we may be able to design underlying micro- structural conditions that allow a material to create its own routes to remain ductile at extreme temperatures,” says lead researcher David Cook. The discovery could give scientists a new strategy for designing metals capable of operating in exceptionally cold environments. www.ox.ac.uk. This image taken with electron microscopy shows new defects forming between neighboring crystals of the niobium-titanium-based alloys. Courtesy of Cook et al., 2026. with our ENHANCED PRODUCT SELECTOR (201) 343-8983 · main@masterbond.com · www.masterbond.com Filter by specific chemistry and specifications Verify compliance with industrial certifications Pinpoint the ideal material for your application Filters Product Applications Product Type Certifications Electrical Conductivity Thermal Conductivity Optical Clarity Cryogenically Serviceable Product Selector Certifications Applications EP4EN-80 One component flowable epoxy cures at 80°C · Bonding · Encapsulation · Potting UV17Med UV curable adhesive offers excellent adhesion to TPUs MasterSil 323 Two component addition cured silicone system · NASA Low Outgassing · RoHS Compliant · Bonding · Sealing · Coating · Gap Filling · ISO 10993-5 for Cytotoxicity · RoHS Compliant · Bonding · Sealing · Encapsulation · Coating · Gap Filling · Potting · RoHS Compliant Visit www.masterbond.com/product-selector
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTYyMzk3NQ==