An alloy is a substance composed of two or more chemical elements, at least one of which is a metal, forming a single or multiphase metallic material with modified physical, chemical, and mechanical properties relative to its constituent elements. At the atomic scale, alloys may exhibit substitutional or interstitial solid solutions, ordered phases, or complex microstructures generated by phase transformations and thermal or mechanical processing. Alloy design and characterization focus on composition, phase equilibria, microstructural features (such as grains, precipitates, and defects), and resulting properties including hardness, strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability, which are tailored for specific technological and industrial applications.
Materials engineers have developed the ability to manipulate structure and matter at the nanoscale for solid-state alloys called intermetallics, making it possible to alter their properties for improved performance.
Nanomaterials
Jun 21, 2026
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Researchers have discovered that atoms can be mixed, separated, and recombined within the same experiment, providing a pathway to a record-breaking catalyst for green hydrogen production. In their study, the team created ...
Nanomaterials
Jun 2, 2026
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A nanocrystal is an extraordinarily tiny piece of material—composed of anywhere from a few to a few thousand atoms—in which atoms are arranged in a precise, ordered structure. Think of it like taking a piece of gold and shrinking ...
Nanomaterials
May 7, 2026
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Composed of five or more elements in nearly equal amounts, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as promising catalysts due to their compositionally complex surfaces that can accelerate chemical reactions. Until now, scientists ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 20, 2026
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For decades, it's been known that subtle chemical patterns exist in metal alloys, but researchers thought they were too minor to matter—or that they got erased during manufacturing. However, recent studies have shown that ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 8, 2025
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Earth's mantle is a restless, enigmatic engine that powers volcanism, recycles crust, and regulates the long-term evolution of the planet. But one of its most elusive characteristics—the redox state, or the balance of oxidized ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 22, 2025
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Navigating the extreme cold of deep space or handling super-chilled liquid fuels here on Earth requires materials that won't break. Most metals become brittle and fracture at such low temperatures. However, new research is ...
A collaborative research team has developed a novel method for forming high-performance high-entropy alloy (HEA) films on various surfaces without using expensive alloy targets. This was achieved using a proprietary rotating ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 20, 2025
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A new class of advanced steels needs more fine-tuning before use in system components for fusion energy—a more sustainable alternative to fission that combines two light atoms rather than splitting one heavy atom. The alloy, ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 6, 2025
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A research team led by Professor Jong-sung Yu of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST (President Kunwoo Kim) has successfully synthesized platinum-calcium alloy nanoparticles using a liquid-phase method. ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 4, 2025
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