The method of inclusion of various additives into a polymer depends highly on the material in question and the desired effect. In the case of this paper, nitride salts were introduced into polyvinylidene fluoride fibers prepared by electrospinning. The resulting changes in the structural, chemical and electrical properties of the samples were observed and compared using SEM-EDX, DSC, XPS, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and electrical measurements. The observed results displayed a grouping of parameters by electronegativity and possibly the molecular mass of the additive salts. We virtually demonstrated elimination of the presence of the γ-phase by addition of Mg(NO₃)₂, Ca(NO₃)₂, and Zn(NO₃)₂ salts. The trend of electrical properties to follow the electronegativity of the nitrate salt cation is demonstrated. The performed measurements of nitrate salt inclusions into PVDF offer a new insight into effects of previously unstudied structures of PVDF composites, opening new potential possibilities of crystalline phase control of the composite and use in further research and component design.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is gaining increasing popularity in various fields, including biomedical engineering. Although AM enables fabrication of tailored components with complex geometries, the manufactured parts typically feature several internal issues, such as unpredictable distribution of residual stress and printing defects. However, these issues can be reduced or eliminated by post-processing via thermomechanical treatment. The study investigated the effects of combinations of AM and post-processing by the intensive plastic deformation method of rotary swaging (variable swaging ratios) on microstructures, residual stress, and corrosion behaviors of AISI 316L stainless steel workpieces; the corrosion tests were performed in an ionized simulated body fluid. The results showed that the gradual swaging process favorably refined the grains and homogenized the grain size. The imposed swaging ratio also directly influenced the development of substructure and dislocations density. A high density of dislocations positively affected the corrosion resistance, whereas annihilation of dislocations and formation of subgrains had a negative effect on the corrosion behavior. The first few swaging passes homogenized the distribution of residual stress within the workpiece and acted toward imparting a predominantly compressive stress state, which also favorably influenced the corrosion behavior. Lastly, the presence of the {111}||swaging direction texture fiber (of a high intensity) increased the resistance to pitting corrosion. Overall, the most favorable corrosion behavior was acquired for the AM sample subjected to the swaging ratio of 0.8, exhibiting a strong fiber texture and a high density of dislocations.

Cu–Zn–Pb brasses are popular materials, from which numerous industrially and commercially used components are fabricated. These alloys are typically subjected to multiple-step processing—involving casting, extrusion, hot forming, and machining—which can introduce various defects to the final product. The present study focuses on the detailed characterization of the structure of a brass fitting—i.e., a pre-shaped medical gas valve, produced by hot die forging—and attempts to assess the factors beyond local cracking occurring during processing. The analyses involved characterization of plastic flow via optical microscopy, and investigations of the phenomena in the vicinity of the crack, for which we used scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Numerical simulation was implemented not only to characterize the plastic flow more in detail, but primarily to investigate the probability of the occurrence of cracking based on the presence of stress. Last, but not least, microhardness in specific locations of the fitting were examined. The results reveal that the cracking occurring in the location with the highest probability of the occurrence of defects was most likely induced by differences in the chemical composition; the location the crack in which developed exhibited local changes not only in chemical composition—which manifested as the presence of brittle precipitates—but also in beta phase depletion. Moreover, as a result of the presence of oxidic precipitates and the hard and brittle alpha phase, the vicinity of the crack exhibited an increase in microhardness, which contributed to local brittleness.