The present research focuses on enhancing the mechanical properties and the electrical conductivity of alloys corresponding to the Al-Mg-Zn (two different compositions) and Al-Mg-Si systems, compared with the commercial 6201-T8 and 1350-H16 alloys, by using a novel approach based on T8 tempering (solution heat treated, cold worked, then artificially aged). After T8 tempering, the Al-Mg-Zn and Al-Mg-Si alloy systems show a better combination of electrical and mechanical properties, with an enhancement of the electrical conductivity by about 2.8% compared to that of 1350 alloy and 13% higher than for the 6201 alloy series. All studied alloys exhibit better mechanical properties than 1350-H16 and are similar to those of 6201-T8.

The present study examined the interactions between the structure, microstructure and mechanical properties of CrMnFeCoNi, CrMnFeCoNiV_0.5 and CrMnFeCoNiMo_0.5 High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs). Starting from elemental powders, the HEAs were obtained by high-energy ball milling, followed by vacuum annealing at 1373 K for 1 h. After milling, a binary FCC-BCC solid solution was formed; the samples showed hardness values ranging from 800 to 973 HV. Evidence shows that annealing HEAs reduced the solubility of V and Mo in the alloys’ FCC structure. Additionally, the Cr content in the FCC phase also decreases. The carbon derived from the decomposition of the process control agent was trapped in the interstices of the HEA structure during mechanical alloying. This amount of carbon is sufficient to form carbides during annealing. The thermodynamic stability of the precursor elements in HEAs is a determining factor in M_xC_y-type formation. The hardness response of HEAs was associated with the HEAs’ structure, while the elastic modulus was affected by their microstructure.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) and refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) have received considerable attention as innovative reinforcements to replace traditional ceramics in lightweight matrices. However, understanding how different high-entropy systems interact under ultra-fast consolidation pathways remains an open challenge. This study compares conventional sintering (CS) and high-frequency induction hot sintering (HFIHS) in an Al-4.5Cu-1.5Mg matrix reinforced with AlCoCrFeNiTi (HEA) and WMoTaNbV (RHEA) particles at various concentrations, enabling a direct comparison of both reinforcement types under identical processing conditions. Results show that HFIHS achieves near-theoretical densification within minutes while restricting atomic mobility and precipitate coarsening through sustained pressure and short thermal exposure. Furthermore, the study observes a clear strengthening dependence on reinforcement content, with the HEA system exhibiting unexpectedly superior mechanical performance and load-bearing capacity compared to the RHEA. Finally, the correlations between ultra-fast sintering, phase evolution, and strengthening mechanisms are discussed, highlighting HFIHS as a promising route for developing high-strength lightweight composites.

Al alloys are of great interest in the automotive and aeronautics industries and structural applications. The mechanical resistance of these alloys can increase by different hardening mechanisms, such as precipitation and strain hardening [ 1]. Among the high-strength Al base alloys are the 6XXX series alloys, whose main alloying elements are Si and Mg and the 7XXX series alloys, which have Zn and Mg as their main alloying elements [ 2-3]. Both alloys are heat treated by T6, which consists of solubilizing, quenching and artificial aging heat treatment. This hardening process has a favorable effect on the material's mechanical properties, but very little research has studied the correlation between cold-rolling on the mechanical properties of the alloy [ 4]. For this reason, the present research is based on the study of two ternary systems Al-Mg-Si and Al-Mg-Zn, where the cold deformation-precipitation correlation (T8 heat treatment) and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties.

Multifunctional hybrid spheres were developed via ionic gelation, using sodium alginate as an encapsulating matrix to integrate TiO₂, Fe₃O₄, activated carbon, hypochlorite-impregnated clinoptilolite zeolite, and metallic copper, followed by chitosan coating and glutaraldehyde cross-linking to enhance mechanical stability. The material combines photocatalytic, adsorbent, antimicrobial, and magnetic functions in a single system, expected to support partial treatment of contaminated water. X-ray diffraction confirmed the expected crystalline phases with no impurities. Physicochemical evaluation showed reductions in turbidity (1.8 to 0.7 NTU), total hardness (306 to 150 mg/L), iron (0.4 to 0.01 mg/L), and lead (<0.001 mg/L), while free residual chlorine remained within permissible limits. Microbiologically, fecal coliforms decreased from 83 to <1.5 CFU/100 mL and total coliforms from 839 to 19 CFU/100 mL. Photocatalytic activity, evaluated using methylene blue, showed an absorbance decrease from 0.38 to 0.17 A.U. over 4 h, corresponding to a blank-corrected removal of 95.5% relative to clean water, fitted to a pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R² = 0.8868). These results demonstrate a synergistic effect among adsorption, photocatalysis, disinfection, and magnetic recovery, positioning the hybrid spheres as a promising alternative for sustainable water treatment technologies.

Among the high-strength aluminum alloys are the 7XXX series alloys, which have wide applications in aircraft and automotive structures due to their high strength and low density. The strength of these alloys is attributed to the fine homogeneously dispersed precipitates in the Al matrix under conditions of heat treatment (T6) [ 1], where the three stages of precipitation hardening are solubilizing, quenching, and aging. Another hardening route used in aluminum alloys is plastic deformation, which introduces internal stresses and dislocation in the alloy [ 2]. In this sense, both hardening processes have a favorable effect on the mechanical properties of the material. However, very few studies have investigated the correlation between cold plastic deformation and the formation of precipitates on the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity [ 3]. With rapid industrialization development, the requirements of the integral properties of aluminum alloys, such as strength, hardness, conductivity, etc., are increasing [ 4]. According to relevant research, the conductivity depends on the material´s structure, which depends not only on the forming method but also on the heat treatment process [ 5]. For this reason, the present research is based on the study of two Al-Mg-Zn ternary systems, being these the main elements that constitute the 7XXX series alloys, where the cold plastic deformation-precipitation correlation (T8 heat treatment) and its effect on the microstructure, mechanical and electrical properties.