In this study, first-principles calculations were utilized to investigate the lattice constants, elastic constants, and mechanical properties of gold–copper (Au–Cu) intermetallic compounds (IMCs), including AuCu₃, AuCu, and Au₃Cu. We also verified the direction dependence of the Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio of the compounds. The calculated lattice parameters agreed with the experimental data, and the single-crystal elastic constants, elastic modulus E, shear modulus G, bulk modulus B, and Poisson’s ratio ν were calculated. For the Young’s and shear moduli, AuCu₃ showed the highest anisotropy, followed by AuCu and Au₃Cu. The Poisson’s ratios of AuCu₃ and Au₃Cu crystals were isotropic on (100) and (111) crystal planes and anisotropic on the (110) crystal plane. However, the Poisson’s ratio of the AuCu crystal was anisotropic on (100) and (111) crystal planes and isotropic on the (110) crystal plane.

In this study, an Fe–Cr–Mo–Ni–B coating was prepared using plasma cladding on Cr5 steel substrate. The microstructure, phase evolution and tribological performance of the Fe–Cr–Mo–Ni–B coating were investigated. The microstructure is mainly composed of Mo₂FeB₂, Fe₂B, α-Fe, γ-Fe and MoB. The process of phase evolution in the coating was observed in situ by HT-CLSM. The Mo₂FeB₂ phase with good thermodynamic stability can exist in the high-temperature liquid phase. It also has a phenomenon of connection and merging and turns into different morphology during the plasma cladding process. The hardness value of coating was much higher than the base metal, and the hardness value of Mo₂FeB₂ (785.5 HV) was higher than the eutectic matrix (693.2 HV). The wear mechanisms of the cladding under dry sliding were primarily caused by adhesive wear, accompanying slight oxidation wear. The Mo₂FeB₂ phase has an important effect on the wear resistance property.

With the escalating functional requirements of electronic systems in new energy vehicles, the performance specifications for electronic components have become increasingly stringent. Nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloy cores processed via transverse magnetic field heat treatment exhibit exceptional electromagnetic properties, rendering them ideal candidates for electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression components. However, conventional transverse magnetic field heat treatment furnaces suffer from severe temperature inhomogeneity, which degrades the soft magnetic performance of the cores. In this work, a three-dimensional numerical model of a vertical transverse magnetic field heat treatment furnace is established using SolidWorks 2022, and the temperature distribution is simulated and analyzed using Ansys Workbench 2022 R1. Structural optimizations are then implemented based on simulation results. To validate the simulation model, thermocouples are arranged at multiple points inside the furnace for real-time temperature monitoring, and the measured data are compared with simulation results. Numerical results demonstrate that increasing the number of deflectors of the circulating cooling fan from 8 to 12 reduces the temperature difference within the core working region from 14 ℃ to 11.08 ℃. Further optimization of the heating resistance wire winding configuration — replacing irregular winding with uniform spiral winding at a pitch of 2 mm — lowers the furnace internal temperature difference to 7.59 ℃. Experimental validation using the optimized furnace confirms a substantial improvement in inductance performance, with values increasing by 40%–45% compared with the original furnace. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization reveals that the average grain sizes of magnetic cores sampled from different furnace positions after optimization are all approximately 18–19 nm, with nearly overlapping grain size distribution curves, confirming the homogenization of the microstructure. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that improving furnace temperature uniformity facilitates the formation of uniformly sized nanocrystalline grains, thereby effectively enhancing the inductance performance of the cores. This work provides a reliable engineering solution for achieving stable performance in the mass production of high-performance nanocrystalline cores.