Silicon–carbon composite anodes are among the most intensively studied candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries because they combine the high theoretical capacity of silicon with the conductivity, structural resilience, and processability of carbon. Yet the value of silicon–carbon design lies not simply in blending two materials. The most effective systems create a coordinated architecture in which carbon acts as an electron highway, a mechanical buffer, and an interfacial regulator, while silicon contributes most of the reversible capacity. Recent work has therefore shifted from simple physical mixing toward deliberate control of particle morphology, carbon deposition pathway, pore distribution, and secondary-particle assembly. This review revisits the field from that perspective. First, representative preparation routes are discussed, with emphasis on how ball milling, pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, spray drying, hydrothermal processing, and multistep integration shape the final electrode. Second, the structure–function relationship of core–shell, one-dimensional, layered, porous, and microspherical configurations is analyzed. Third, the review examines the electrochemical origins of capacity decay, rate limitation, and unstable interphases, then summarizes practical modification strategies including heteroatom doping, ternary hybridization, interface engineering, and electrolyte design. Finally, recent progress and remaining practical gaps are discussed, with particular attention to first-cycle lithium loss, electrode swelling, interphase stability, cost, and manufacturability. Rather than treating these issues as unsolved barriers, this review emphasizes how they have been progressively mitigated through carbon-network design, silicon–graphite hybridization, interface engineering, electrolyte regulation, and lithium-inventory management, while also highlighting the need for further validation under realistic full-cell and manufacturing conditions.

Hard carbon has become the most realistic anode candidate for sodium-ion batteries because it combines low cost, structural robustness, and relatively high reversible sodium storage capacity. However, the practical value of hard carbon is not determined only by its gravimetric capacity. For full-cell sodium-ion batteries, the usable capacity must be considered together with initial Coulombic efficiency, interfacial stability, electrode density, rate capability, and the availability of active sodium. This review discusses hard carbon from the perspective of “storage-site economy”, where closed pores, graphitic nanodomains, defects, and surface functional groups are evaluated according to both their contribution to reversible Na storage and their tendency to trigger irreversible sodium consumption. First, the structural origin of hard carbon is briefly discussed, emphasizing how non-graphitizable carbon frameworks create turbostratic layers and nanoconfined pores. Then, sodium storage mechanisms are reconsidered by linking sloping capacity, plateau capacity, and low-voltage pore filling with practical risks such as sodium plating, sluggish diffusion, and unstable solid–electrolyte interphase formation. Special attention is given to precursor selection and pyrolysis control, because they regulate the balance between closed-pore capacity and exposed surface area. Finally, interface engineering and pre-sodiation strategies are discussed as necessary tools for transferring hard-carbon anodes from half-cell evaluation to full-cell operation. This review highlights that future hard carbon design should not simply maximize total capacity; instead, it should maximize reversible closed-pore utilization while minimizing irreversible surface reactions and sodium inventory loss.

High-energy lithium batteries are limited not only by electrode materials and electrolyte chemistry, but also by coupled transport, reaction, and mechanical instabilities at dynamic interfaces. Non-uniform ion flux, lithium dendrite growth, interfacial contact loss, heterogeneous conversion reactions, and thermal–mechanical stress are strongly affected by the physical boundary conditions imposed during fabrication and operation. This mini review therefore re-examines physical-field-assisted lithium batteries from a mechanics-informed perspective. Magnetic fields are discussed in terms of electrode/electrolyte alignment, ion-flux regulation, and spin-assisted reaction kinetics. Light fields are reviewed for photo-assisted Li–O ₂ , Li–CO ₂ , and Li–S batteries, with emphasis on carrier separation and reaction-pathway control. Mechanical pressure, acoustic waves, pulsed-current protocols, and thermal fields are further analyzed as strategies for stabilizing interfaces, regulating lithium nucleation, and reducing structural degradation. Unlike conventional summaries focused mainly on electrochemical performance, this review highlights how external physical fields act as controllable boundary conditions that influence stress redistribution, contact stability, dendrite-induced fracture, and deformation compatibility. Practical issues, including field strength, energy consumption, added mass, stack pressure, cell format, and application-specific trade-offs, are also discussed to clarify which strategies are realistically scalable for future lithium batteries.

The effect of the short R-Q-T (Rolling-Quenching-Tempering) process on the microstructure evolution of AH460 offshore engineering steel was studied through high-temperature deformation experiments and heat treatment analysis. The steel underwent theoretical calculations and multi-scale characterization to quantitatively evaluate its microstructure and precipitation behavior. A thermodynamic and kinetic model was established to analyze V(C,N) precipitation in ferrite, determining an optimal holding temperature of 600 ℃. The microstructure and phase composition were characterized using metallographic microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, while EDS, FFT, IFFT, and SAED diffraction confirmed that the precipitated phase was V(C,N). The results demonstrated that the short R-Q-T process produced a finer, more uniform microstructure, while the size and quantity of precipitated phases increased with tempering time. The V(C,N) phase played a role in grain refinement during deformation and cooling and contributed to precipitation strengthening at room temperature. The combination of these mechanisms ensured the mechanical properties of AH460 steel, making the short R-Q-T process an effective method for improving its microstructure and strength.

This study systematically investigates the hot deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of AA3102 aluminum alloy through isothermal uniaxial compression tests conducted at 400–550 °C and strain rates of 0.01–10 s⁻¹. Previous studies on 3xxx-series Al–Mn alloys have mainly considered temperature and strain-rate effects while neglecting strain-dependent material parameter variations, limiting prediction accuracy under large deformation and obscuring dynamic softening mechanisms. Here, the experimental flow stress data were corrected for interfacial friction and adiabatic temperature rise. A sixth-order strain-compensated Arrhenius constitutive model was then developed to describe the coupled effects of temperature, strain rate, and strain. Full-strain-range power dissipation and flow instability maps were constructed using the dynamic material model, while optical microscopy and DEFORM-3D simulations were employed to clarify microstructural evolution and deformation inhomogeneity. The model achieved a correlation coefficient of 0.9841 and an average absolute relative error of 3.67%, demonstrating high predictive accuracy. No flow instability was detected within the investigated range, indicating excellent hot formability. The favorable compression-processing window was identified as 500–550 °C and 0.1–1 s⁻¹, while the peak power-dissipation efficiency increased from 30.55% at $\epsilon = 0.2$ to 32.90% at $\epsilon = 0.8$. Optical-microstructural observations suggest that increasing temperature and decreasing strain rate are associated with an increasing contribution of dynamic recrystallization relative to dynamic recovery. Finite-element results further reveal pronounced spatial variations in strain, temperature, strain rate, and stress during compression. These findings provide baseline constitutive and thermomechanical information for subsequent AA3102 hot-extrusion optimization.