ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 1 1 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY ENERGY-EFFICIENT IRON PRODUCTION Scientists at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities are investigating a new method to produce iron. For the first time, the researchers were able to observe chemical reactions and iron formation in real time at the nanometer scale. They say this breakthrough has potential to transform the iron and steel production industry by improving energy efficiency and lowering costs. The new process uses hydrogen gas plasma, an ionized gas that dissociates the hydrogen gas thereby producing an deliberately designed with hetero- geneous grain structures, combining different sizes. This strategy seems promising, but realizing it typically requires powder metallurgy, and it is also complex and costly, making it unrealistic for large-scale applications. To address these concerns, the scientists developed a unique “coreshell” structure inside a nickel-base high-entropy alloy by applying hot rolling along with precise heat treatment. In this structure, the core corresponds to the original large grains, like an egg yolk, while the shell consists of newly formed smaller grains surrounding them, resembling the egg white. During the process, fine nanoscale B2 precipitates form within the alloy. In the final heat treatment step, these precipitates selectively form along grain boundaries. As a result, when external stress is applied, the shell acts like a shield that blocks dislocation motion and enhances strength, while the core serves as a cushion that absorbs impact and mitigates cracking. The new alloy demonstrates outstanding performance, with a yield strength of 1029 MPa, tensile strength of 1271 MPa, and elongation of 31.1%. The alloy is not only much stronger than conventional metals but can also stretch more than 30% without breaking. Results were achieved solely through casting and heat treatment, without requiring complex processing. www.postech.ac.kr. abundance of highly reactive hydrogen atoms. When the iron is exposed to this plasma, these highly reactive atoms strip the oxygen from the ore, producing pure iron and water vapor. The team partnered with Humming- bird Scientific, a company that builds products for electron, x-ray, and ion microscopy, to create a special holder that fits inside a transmission electron microscope. Previous optical methods could only be viewed at a few hundred nanometers. This new method will allow researchers to see things at a nanometer resolution, which is 100 times better than previous research. “Creating plasma could be energetically a lot more efficient than heating the material,” says researcher Andre Mkhoyan. “This innovation could lead to materials being modified with lower energy consumption, ultimately making processes more economically efficient.” cse.umn.edu. ACHIEVING BOTH STRENGTH AND DUCTILITY Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea, are challenging the assumption that for metals, achieving both strength and ductility at the same time is nearly impossible. Large grains in a metal enhance ductility, while small grains increase strength—but incorporating both types within a single metal remains difficult. A new approach has emerged in which metals are Innova Engineered Plastics, Shirley, Mass., opened a new manufacturing center in Mexicali, Mexico. Located in the center of Mexico’s medical device corridor, the facility expands total capacity and capabilities including injection molding, reaction injection molding, cast urethane molding, vacuum and pressure thermoforming, and more. innova-plastics.com. BRIEF Jae Hyun Nam, a Ph.D. student, works in the University of Minnesota Characterization Facility to complete nanometer scale observations as part of the team’s research. Courtesy of Kalie Pluchel/University of Minnesota. Thermodynamic phase diagram and schematic illustration of microstructure of Ni-based high-entropy alloy. Courtesy of POSTECH.
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