Residual stress occurs in the materials after different methods of processing due to the application of pressure and/or thermal gradient. The occurrence of residual stresses can be observed in both subtractive and additive-manufactured (AM) materials and objects. However, pressure residual stresses are considered, in some cases, to have a positive effect; there are applications where the neutral stress state is required. As there is a lack of standards describing the heat treatment of AM materials, there is a need for experimental research in this field. The objective of this article is to determine the heat treatment thermal regime to achieve close to zero stress state in the subsurface layer of additively manufactured AM316L stainless steel. The presented objective leads to the long-term goal of neutral etalons for eddy current residual stress testing preparation. A semi-product intended for the experiment was prepared using the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process and subsequently cut, using Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) technology, into experimental specimens, which were consequently heat-treated in combination with four temperatures and three holding times. Residual stresses were measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and microstructure variations were observed and examined. A combination of higher temperature and longer duration of heat treatment caused more significant stress relaxation, and the original stress state of the material influenced a degree of this relaxation. The microstructure formed of cellular grains changed slightly in the form of grain growth with randomly occurring unmolten powder particles, porosity, and inclusion precipitation.

To solve a number of technological issues, it is advisable to use mathematical modeling, which will allow us to obtain the dependences of the influence of the technological parameters of chemical and thermal treatment processes on forming the depth of the diffusion layers of steels and alloys. The paper presents mathematical modeling of diffusion processes based on the existing chemical and thermal treatment of steel parts. Mathematical modeling is considered on the example of 38Cr2MoAl steel after gas nitriding. The gas nitriding technology was carried out at different temperatures for a duration of 20, 50, and 80 h in the SSHAM-12.12/7 electric furnace. When modeling the diffusion processes of surface hardening of parts in general, providing a specifically given distribution of nitrogen concentration over the diffusion layer’s depth from the product’s surface was solved. The model of the diffusion stage is used under the following assumptions: The diffusion coefficient of the saturating element primarily depends on temperature changes; the metal surface is instantly saturated to equilibrium concentrations with the saturating atmosphere; the surface layer and the entire product are heated unevenly, that is, the product temperature is a function of time and coordinates. Having satisfied the limit, initial, and boundary conditions, the temperature distribution equations over the diffusion layer’s depth were obtained. The final determination of the temperature was solved by an iterative method. Mathematical modeling allowed us to get functional dependencies for calculating the temperature distribution over the depth of the layer and studying the influence of various factors on the body’s temperature state of the body.

Additive manufacturing has many positives, but its incorporation into functional parts production is restricted by the presence of defects. Eddy current testing provides solutions for their identification; however, some methodology and measurement standards for AM (additive manufacturing) products are still missing. The main purpose of the experiment described within this article was to check the ability of eddy current testing to identify AM stainless steel parts and to examine the data obtained by eddy currents variation under the influence of various types of designed artificial defects. Experimental samples were designed and prepared with SLM (selective laser melting) technology. Artificial defects, included in the samples, were detected using the eddy current testing device, taking the important circumstances of this non-destructive method into account. The presented research shows significant potential for eddy current testing to identify defects in AM products, with a resolution of various types and sizes of defects. The obtained data output shows the importance of choosing the right measurement regime, excitation frequency and secondary parameters setup. Besides the eddy current testing conditions, defect properties also play a significant role, such as their shape, size, if they are filled with unmolten powder or if they reach the surface.

The development of cost-effective co-catalysts of high photocatalytic activity and recyclability is still a challenge in the energy transformation domain. In this study, 0D/2D Schottky heterojunctions, consisting of 0D ZnO and 2D Ti₃C₂, were successfully synthesized by the electrostatic self-assembling of ZnO nanoparticles on Ti₃C₂ nanosheets. In constructing these heterojunctions, Ti₃C₂ nanosheets acted as a co-catalyst for enhancing the transfer of excitons and their separation to support the photocatalytic response of ZnO. The as-prepared ZnO/Ti₃C₂ composites demonstrate an abbreviated charge transit channel, a huge interfacial contact area and the interfacial electrons’ transport potential. The extended optical response and large reactive area of the ZnO/Ti₃C₂ composite promoted the formation of excitons and reactive sites on the photocatalyst’s surface. The ZnO/Ti₃C₂ Schottky heterojunction showed significantly high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from a water–ethanol solution under the light illumination in the visible region. The hydrogen evolution overoptimized the ZnO/Ti₃C₂ composition with 30 wt.% of Ti₃C₂, which was eight times higher than the pristine ZnO. These findings can be helpful in developing 0D/2D heterojunction systems for photocatalytic applications by utilizing Ti₃C₂ as a low-cost co-catalyst.

New methods of diffusion metallization of AISI W1-7 steel have been developed. The paper proposes a comparative analysis of the properties and characteristics of AISI W1-7 steel after three methods of chemical heat treatment: diffusion nitriding, nitrogen titration by physical deposition from the gas phase, and diffusion chromium plating with subsequent titanium alloys. The results are presented as a comprehensive analysis of coatings: metallographic, micro-X-ray spectral, X-ray phase, durometric, heat resistance, and wear resistance. It is established that multilayer protective coatings are formed as a result of treatments. It is shown that the coatings consist of carbide and nitride zones, intermetallic, and an Al₂O₃ layer outside the coating. The coatings have been found to contain barrier layers that prevent aluminum from penetrating the substrate. The maximum microhardness is typical for layers based on titanium carbide—30.3–35.5 GPa and titanium nitride—22.0–22.6 GPa, heat-resistant steels AISI W1-7 at a temperature of 900 °C in 4.2–8.5 times and wear resistance under sliding friction without lubrication up to 5.4 times compared to samples without treatment.

The analysis of various methods of machining of rope internal thread ISO 10208, DIN 20317 has been carried out and the criteria of high-efficiency machining have been formulated. The concept of the method has been developed, which supposes the designing of the construction of noncore tool and the calculation of the parameters of mechanical trajectory with the purpose of ensuring the machining per one pass on the computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine. The compensation procedure of dimensional wear of insert has been developed. While machining the production batch of the parts in an experimental way, the optimum cutting conditions have been determined which allow ensuring the maximum efficiency on reaching the required roughness and the dimensional accuracy of the profile of rope thread. The performed statistical analysis of the machined parts allowed to establish that dispersions of the actual values of profiles' roughness follow Gauss' law. In an experimental way, it has been proved that the application of the proposed method increased the efficiency of machining of the internal rope thread by 2.5 times. On the basis of comparison of engineering-and-economical performance, the efficient fields of application of high-efficient method of machining of the rope threads have been determined.