X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), immersion, electrochemical, and tensile tests were employed to analyze the phase constitution, microstructure, corrosion behaviors, and tensile properties of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy and a newly-developed low cost titanium alloy Ti-4Al-2V-1Mo-1Fe. The results showed that both the Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-4Al-2V-1Mo-1Fe alloys were composed of α and β phases. The volume fractions of β phase for these two alloys were 7.4% and 47.3%, respectively. The mass losses after 180-day immersion tests in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution of these alloys were negligible. The corrosion resistance of the Ti-4Al-2V-1Mo-1Fe alloy was higher than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The tensile tests showed that the Ti-4Al-2V-1Mo-1Fe alloy presented a slightly higher strength but a lower ductility compared to the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

The 6061-T6 aluminum alloy welding joints were fabricated using gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of various laser powers, and the effect of laser power on the microstructure evolution of the welding joints was investigated. The corrosion behaviors of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy welding joints were investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the micro-galvanic corrosion initiation from Mg₂Si or around the intermetallic particles (Al-Fe-Si) is observed after the immersion test due to the inhomogeneous nature of the microstructure. The preferential dissolution of the Mg₂Si and Al-Fe-Si is believed to be the possible cause of pitting corrosion. When the laser power reached 5 kW, the microstructure of the welded joint mainly consisted of Al-Fe-Si rather than the Mg₂Si at 2 kW. The relatively higher content of Al-Fe-Si with increasing in laser power would increase the volume of corrosion pits.

The friction and wear behaviors of Fe-19Cr-15Mn-0.66N steel were investigated under applied loads of 5 N and 15 N at the wear-testing temperatures of 300 °C and 500 °C using a ball-on-disc tribometer. The wear tracks were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) to reveal the variation in morphologies. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to determine the components of oxide layers formed on wear surfaces. The results demonstrated that the oxide layers are favorable for obtaining a low friction coefficient under all conditions. The average friction coefficient decreased with increasing load at 300 °C, while it increased with the increase in applied load at 500 °C. At 300 °C, severe abrasive wear characterized by grooves resulted in a high friction coefficient with 5 N applied, whereas the formation of a denser oxide layer consisting of Cr₂O₃, FeCr₂O₄, Fe₂O₃, etc., and the increased hardness caused by work hardening led to a decrease in friction characterized by mild adhesive wear. At 500 °C, the transformation of Fe₂O₃ to the relatively softer Fe₃O₄ and the high production of lubricating Mn₂O₃ resulted in a minimum average friction coefficient (0.34) when 5 N was applied. However, the softening caused by high temperature weakened the hardening effect, and thus the friction coefficient increased with 15 N applied at 500 °C.