This study shows that WC-12Co coatings with low porosity and high wear and corrosion resistance can be applied by high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) on a low melting and highly flammable ZE41 magnesium alloy. This provides a novel and promising use of the high-energy thermal spraying technique on low temperature melting substrates. The spraying distance used was 300 mm, which is between two and three times the recommended distanced for HVOF coating with WC-12Co on steels. Despite this, the WC-12Co coatings obtained were homogeneous, crack-free, and dense. The coatings were very well adhered to the substrates and the spraying distance allowed avoiding any thermal affectation of the substrate. The thickness of the coatings was limited to 45 μm to avoid a big mass increase in the samples. The effect of the number of layers, the O₂/H₂ ratio and the gas transport flow in the coating was studied. The coatings reduced the wear rate of the substrate by 104 times, making them wear resistant. Electrochemical corrosion tests were conducted to study the corrosion protection of the coatings, showing that it is possible to protect the magnesium substrate for 96 h in contact with 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution.

Ti6Al4V is the most used alloy for implants because of its excellent biocompatibility; however, its low wear resistance limits its use in the biomedical industry. The additive manufacturing (AM) of Ti6Al4V is a well-established technique that is being used in many fields. However, the AM of Ti6Al4V composites is currently under investigation, and its manufacture using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) would result in a great benefit for many industries. The one-step novel concept proposed uses a gas-controlled L-PBF system that enables the AM of layers with different compositions. Six millimeter-edged cubes of Ti6Al4V were manufactured in an Ar atmosphere and coated with in situ Ti6Al4V/TiN layers by using an Ar–N₂ mixture given the direct reaction between titanium and nitrogen. Unreinforced Ti6Al4V presented a martensitic microstructure, and TiN reinforcement dendrites and a minor Ti₂N phase were gradually introduced into an α + β basketweave titanium matrix. The composites’ microhardness, nanohardness, and elastic modulus were 2, 3, and 1.5 times higher, respectively, than those of the Ti6Al4V. Porosity levels (caused by a lack of fusion, trapping gases, and interdendritic porosity), ranged from 7 to 12% (most measured 20–40 µm) and increased with the reinforcement content (15 to 25%). A scaled-up, proof-of-concept design of a hip implant stem was 3D printed using this nitriding method. Since the neck of the stem (top part) is more susceptible to the fracture and fretting corrosion process, the resulting graded material part consisted of unreinforced Ti6Al4V at the bottom and Ti6Al4V/TiN at the top. This change was controlled by gradually adding nitrogen to the atmosphere; moreover, it was found that the more nitrogen in the chamber, the more TiN reinforcement formed in the part. A microhardness of ~450 HV_0.1 was measured at the bottom and gradually increased to ~900 HV_0.1, with the increment corresponding to the in situ TiN reinforcement amount.

The project involved applying gamification methodology in the teaching of engineering and materials science through the creation of a board game. This game facilitated the active study of the subject, encouraged self-assessment, and developed general competencies such as teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as specific competencies in the structure, description, and characterization of materials and manufacturing processes. During the course, students created questions and tests for the game, which were reviewed by the faculty and used to print and manufacture the game. Students utilized the game to study actively, interact with their peers, and reflect on the course topics. There are plans to extend the project to more specialized subjects within the Materials Engineering degree program. The creation of these contents promotes active student learning, reinforces their knowledge, enhances information retention, and motivates students through gamification.

To modulate the properties of degradable implants from outside of the human body represents a major challenge in the field of biomaterials. Polylactic acid is one of the most used polymers in biomedical applications, but it tends to lose its mechanical properties too quickly during degradation. In the present study, a way to reinforce poly-L lactic acid (PLLA) with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) that have the capacity to heat under radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) is proposed. As mechanical and degradation properties are related to the crystallinity of PLLA, the aim of the work was to explore the possibility of modifying the structure of the polymer through the heating of the reinforcing MNPs by EMF within the biological limit range f·H < 5·× 10⁹ Am⁻¹·s⁻¹. Composites were prepared by dispersing MNPs under sonication in a solution of PLLA. The heat released by the MNPs was monitored by an infrared camera and changes in the polymer were analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry and nanoindentation techniques. The crystallinity, hardness, and elastic modulus of nanocomposites increase with EMF treatment.