Interface at Dissimilar Crystal Structures

Dear Colleagues,

Since the Bronze and Iron Ages, humans have been mixing different materials in order to obtain compounds with superior properties. For example, bronze (a mixture of copper and tin) is stronger than either copper or tin, and mixing iron with nickel, manganese or chromium can increase its strength and corrosion resistance. Given the rapid development of modern civilization, the simple mixing of different materials is no longer sufficient, and multiple functions and diverse features must be integrated to produce a single product. Therefore, hybrid structures assembled through various manufacturing methods have become preferred or even used exclusively by many industries. During these processes, it is crucial to establish a reliable interface between dissimilar materials, which can serve to fulfil various requirements, such as mechanical robustness and thermal stability. Challenges arise from the differences in crystal structures, lattice parameters and physical properties of the materials to be combined. For example, conventional manufacturing methods cannot join copper, with its face-centered cubic crystal structure, to niobium, which as a body-centered cubic crystal structure; moreover, they cannot join iron, which has a body-centred cubic crystal structure (at room temperature), to magnesium, with its hexagonal close-packed crystal structure. On the other hand, detrimental interfacial structures might be formed for certain dissimilar material combinations such as aluminum/magnesium or aluminum/iron.

In the last few decades, researchers have started to apply various novel manufacturing methods to facilitate bonding in dissimilar materials which are challenging to combine, while controlling or modifying the interfacial structures of dissimilar materials which are reactive to each other. Novel microstructure characterization techniques and simulation studies have been presented to investigate the interfacial structures between such compounds and unveil their joining mechanisms. The current topic aims to bring together research efforts, both successful and unsuccessful, to join dissimilar materials, especially dissimilar crystal structures. A better understanding of the interfacial structures between dissimilar materials will help us to further explore possible dissimilar material combinations for various applications.

Dr. Tianhao Wang
Dr. Bharat Gwalani
Dr. Jiahao Cheng
Dr. Michael Frank
Dr. Yunqiang Zhao
Dr. Junmiao Shi
Guest Editors

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• Interface
• Joining
• Dissimilar materials
• Intermetallic
• Miscible
• Immiscible
• Simulation