Mixed Alloy Research Articles

Bimetallic Ru1−xVxO2 and trimetallic Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 alloy nanofibers for efficient, stable and pH-independent oxygen evolution reaction catalysis

We present ruthenium-vanadium mixed alloy metal oxide (Ru1−xVxO2) nanofibers as well as chromium (Cr) doped Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 nanofibers using electrospinning and subsequent thermal annealing procedures as cost-effective, highly active and stable electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Both Ru1−xVxO2 and Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 nanofibers exhibited tetragonal crystalline structure, confirming that Ru, V, and Cr ions randomly occupied the tetragonal lattice sites due to the similar ionic sizes. Both Ru1−xVxO2 and Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 nanofibers showed excellent OER electrocatalytic activity, characterized by low overpotentials and small Tafel slopes, in both acidic and alkaline conditions. Ru1−xVxO2 (x = 0.52) nanofibers demonstrated an enhanced elemental substitution effect, leading to an enlarged active surface area that contributed to their exceptional OER activity. Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 nanofibers, achieved through optimal doping with Cr4+ ions, not only displayed significantly improved stability but also exhibited high OER activity. Interestingly, both Ru1−xVxO2 and Ru1−x−yVxCryO2 nanofibers consistently catalyzed alkaline OER, even under conditions of reactant depletion. These nanofibers, containing noble Ru with less than half of the total metal content, are proposed as efficient and cost-effective OER catalysts for use in both acidic and alkaline media.

Dynamic hysteresis curves in a mixed spin ternary alloy system under the time-dependent magnetic field

The dynamic hysteresis features in mixed spins- ternary alloy system with formula was examined through Glauber-type stochastic dynamic and mean-field theory. The system includes two interpenetrating lattices, one has spin- components, while the other includes a random distribution of spin- and spin- compounds. The effect of Hamiltonian parameters on the dynamic hysteresis behavior was investigated in detail and observed that the physical characteristics have a significant impact on the shape and quantity of hysteresis loops. We compared our findings with other theoretical and experimental investigations; a high level of agreement is obtained.

Investigation of the Pd(1−x)Zn x alloy phase diagram using ab initio modelling approaches

The identification of the stable phases in alloy materials is challenging because composition affects the structural stability of different intermediate phases. Computational simulation, via multiscale modelling approaches, can significantly accelerate the exploration of phase space and help to identify stable phases. Here, we apply such new approaches to understand the complex phase diagram of binary alloys of PdZn, with the relative stability of structural polymorphs considered through application of density functional theory coupled with cluster expansion (CE). The experimental phase diagram has several competing crystal structures, and we focus on three different closed-packed phases that are commonly observed for PdZn, namely the face-centred cubic (FCC), body-centred tetragonal (BCT) and hexagonal close packed (HCP), to identify their respective stability ranges. Our multiscale approach confirms a narrow range of stability for the BCT mixed alloy, within the Zn concentration range from 43.75% to 50%, which aligns with experimental observations. We subsequently use CE to show that the phases are competitive across all concentrations, but with the FCC alloy phase favoured for Zn concentrations below 43.75%, and that the HCP structure favoured for Zn-rich concentrations. Our methodology and results provide a platform for future investigations of PdZn and other close-packed alloy systems with multiscale modelling techniques.

Effect of Powder Formulation and Energy Density on the Nitrogen Content, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of SLMed High-Nitrogen Steel

The effects of powder formulation, including elemental mixed powder (EMP) and alloy mixed powder (AMP), and energy density on the nitrogen content and microstructural characteristics of high-nitrogen steel prepared by selective laser melting were investigated. The results reveal that the samples prepared with EMP had more nonfusion flaws and a relatively low density, with a maximum of only 92.36%, while samples prepared with AMP had fewer defects and a relative density of up to 97.21%. The nitrogen content and microstructural characteristics were significantly influenced by the laser energy density. The relative density of the EMP samples increased from 88.29% to 92.36% as the laser energy density increased from 83.3 J/mm3 to 125 J/mm3, while the relative density of the AMP samples rose from 93.31% to 97.21%, and the number of defects and the nitrogen content decreased. The mechanical properties of the AMP samples were superior to those of the EMP samples when the energy density rose, and the strength of the high-nitrogen steel first rose and then fell. The AMP samples showed the best mechanical properties when the energy density was 104.2 J/mm3, which corresponds to a laser power of 250 W, a scanning speed of 1000 mm/s, and a layer thickness of 30 μm. The corresponding values of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation were 958.8 MPa, 1189.2 MPa, and 30.66%, respectively.

Cathodoluminescence and structural properties of ZnTe nanocrystals synthesized from Te/ZnO thin films

Highly mismatched alloys are of substantial interest for composition-dependent bandgap tunability for solar cell applications. Using low-energy ion implantation and subsequent thermal treatment, we have synthesized ZnTe nanocrystals from Te/ZnO bilayer thin films. However, only thermal treatment without ion implantation does not show any ZnTe nanocrystal characteristics that demonstrate the role of defects via ion implantation in nucleation growth. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements confirmed the nanocrystalline growth of ZnTe and ZnTeO3 inside the mixed layer of ZnO and Te. From X-ray diffraction, it has been observed that a critical fluence of ions is required to produce a certain quantity of defects to assist in stoichiometric ZnTe formation. The absorption spectroscopy illustrates dual bandgap in the mixed alloys. Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy confirms two visible emission bands at 2.1 eV and 2.35 eV corresponding to the ZnTe and ZnO defect band along with the near band UV emission of ZnO at 3.26 eV. Such composition-dependent bandgap and light emission tunability from a mixed alloy are suitable for semiconductor device technology and energy harvesting.

Characterization of the material and electrical properties depending on the Mg:Ag ratio as a cathode for TEOLED

In this study, Mg:Ag mixed alloy films were comprehensively analyzed as a potential transparent cathode, depending on the deposition ratio of Mg:Ag atoms. It was determined that the work function, refractive index, and film formation characteristics varied depending on the deposition ratio of Mg:Ag, and affected electro-optical characteristics such as transmittance and sheet resistance. In addition, the applicability of the proposed transparent cathode for top emitting organic light-emitting diodes (TEOLEDs) was analyzed by comprehensively considering the TEOLED performance in relation to the Mg:Ag deposition ratio. The TEOLED performance was optimized by adjusting the Mg:Ag transmittance, sheet resistance and appropriate work function, and the emission spectrum could be controlled by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and cavity mode coupling effect.

Structural and thermodynamic properties of quasi-2D Mo(1–x)W x (S, Se, Te)2 monolayer alloys: a statistical first principle study

In this work, we report an ab initio study of the structural and thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDC) alloys, Mo(1–x)W x (S, Se, Te)2, using the cluster expansion framework to compute the Helmholtz free energy of alloys as a function of alloy composition and temperature, in the framework of the generalized quasi-chemical approximation. We consider alloying only on the metal sublayer. Our results indicate a weak dependence of the structural properties (lattice constants, nearest-neighbor bond lengths, and layer width) on the alloy composition (i.e. concentrations of W and Mo atoms), in line with the very similar values of the atomic radii of Mo and W atoms. A stronger dependence on the chalcogen is obtained, a trend that reflects the larger variations in atomic radii among the three chalcogen species. As a function of composition, the structural parameters we examined show similar trends, with negligible bowing (i.e. deviations from a Vegard’s law interpolation between end compounds), for the three alloys. Moreover, already at 300 K the behavior of these structural features as a function of composition is very similar to that of the standard-regular-solution (SRS) high-temperature limit. In contrast, the electronic band gaps of the the three alloys as a function of composition show small but significant bowing, as high as −1% to −2% near the x = 0.5 alloy composition. Similarly to the structural features, the band gaps attain the high-temperature SRS limit already at 300 K. Regarding thermodynamic properties, we obtain negative values of the internal energy of mixing for the three alloys over the full range of compositions. Therefore, the theoretical alloying phase diagram for the three alloys is featureless, with stability of a fully-mixed alloy at all temperatures and compositions, with no miscibility gap (hence no bimodal nor spinodal decomposition lines). The thermodynamic potentials (mixing internal energy, mixing entropy, and mixing free energy) reach the high-temperature limit at ∼1000 K, the temperature range of synthesis of 2D-TMDC alloys. These trends of structural and electronic properties of the 2D-TMDC alloys are due to the very similar atomic radii and the nearly identical coordination chemistry of Mo and W. Our results are in agreement with experimental work on the alloying of Mo and W atoms, for samples of Mo(1–x)W x S2 monolayer alloys, that found that the random mixed alloy is the thermodynamically stable state for this alloy, with no segregation or phase separation.

Improvement of the electronic, mechanical and optical properties of cubic As-doped BN alloy for energy harvesting applications

The electronic structure, elastic and optical properties with wide energy band gap (Eg) in mixed crystal semiconductors containing As-doped BN are reported. Density functional calculations (DFT) were performed for comprehensive detection and understanding of structural, optoelectronic, and elastic properties for mixed semiconductors in the cubic phase. When applying Vegard’s law for As, BN, and mixed alloys based on BN1−xAsx, where x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1, we observed that the distortion of the lattice constants was slight to different condensations. Calculations of Eg values found that the values decreased with an increase in (x) condensation. The bulk modulus, and other elastic parameters were computed and confirmed that the alloys are mechanically stable. The calculations of dielectric Ɛ(ω), refractive index n(ω), higher absorption α(ω) peaks, and other coefficients confirm that BN1−xAsx alloys are favourable for practical photovoltaics. The results confirm that mixed semiconductors have great interest in next-generation optoelectronic devices. This work provides a route for optoelectronic applications.

A study of the physical properties of GaN, GaP and their mixed ternary alloys for the applications in optoelectronics devices

A study of the physical properties of GaN, GaP and their mixed ternary alloys for the applications in optoelectronics devices

Understanding microstructure evolution and corrosion behavior of wire arc cladding inconel 625 Superalloy by thermodynamic approaches

Ni-based superalloys have excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance and are often used to make coatings on engineering components or steel materials. The free energy of the melt of Inconel 625 and multiple mixed Ni-based alloy were calculated by the optimized molecular interaction volume model (MIVM), and the cladding material composition is designed according to the composition - free energy curve. The corrosion resistance of the single and double deposited Ni-based layers with different Fe content were studied and compared. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) analyses show that the corrosion resistance of the single deposited layers increases with the increase of Fe element, which Component is designed by thermodynamic calculation. Because of the thermodynamic stability of alloy melt is improved by the increase of Fe element, and reducing element segregation and formation of Laves phase. The pitting potential of the single deposited layer increase with the increase of Fe content, and the passivation film of the double deposited layers are more stable.

Near-infrared to red-light emission and carrier dynamics in full series multilayer GaTe1−xSex (0≤x≤1) with structural evolution

Two-dimensional layered gallium monochalcogenide (GaX, where X = S, Se, Te) semiconductors possess great potential for use in optoelectronic and photonic applications, owing to their direct band edge. In this work, the structural and optical properties of full-series multilayer GaTe1−xSex for x = 0 to x = 1 are examined. The experimental results show that the whole series of GaTe1−xSex layers may contain one hexagonal (H) phase from GaTe to GaSe, whereas the monoclinic (M) phase predominates at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4. For x ≥ 0.5, the H-phase dominates the GaTe1−xSex series. The micro-photoluminescence (μPL) results indicate that the photon emission energy of M-phase GaTe1−xSex increases as the Se content increases from 1.652 eV (M-GaTe) to 1.779 eV (M-GaTe0.6Se0.4), whereas that of H-phase GaTe1−xSex decreases from 1.998 eV (H-GaSe) to 1.588 eV (H-GaTe) in the red to near-infrared (NIR) region. Micro-time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and area-fluorescence lifetime mapping (AFLM) of the few-layer GaTe1−xSex series indicates that the decay lifetime of the band-edge emission of the M phase is faster than that of the H phase in the mixed alloys of layered GaTe1−xSex (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4). On the other hand, for H-phase GaTe1−xSex, the decay lifetime of the band-edge emission also increases as the Se content increases, owing to the surface effect. The dark resistivity of GaTe1−xSex for 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1 (i.e., predominantly H phase) is greater than that of the other instance of majority M-phase GaTe1−xSex for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4, owing to the larger bandgaps. The predominantly H phase GaTe1−xSex (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1) also shows a greater photoconductive response under visible-light illumination because of the greater contribution from surface states. The superior light-emission and photodetection capability of the GaTe1−xSex multilayers (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) means that they can be used for future optoelectronic devices.

Metal Halide Perovskite Heterostructures: Blocking Anion Diffusion with Single-Layer Graphene

The development of metal halide perovskite/perovskite heterostructures is hindered by rapid interfacial halide diffusion leading to mixed alloys rather than sharp interfaces. To circumvent this outcome, we developed an ion-blocking layer consisting of single-layer graphene (SLG) deposited between the metal halide perovskite layers and demonstrated that it effectively blocks anion diffusion in a CsPbBr3/SLG/CsPbI3 heterostructure. Spatially resolved elemental analysis and spectroscopic measurements demonstrate the halides do not diffuse across the interface, whereas control samples without the SLG show rapid homogenization of the halides and loss of the sharp interface. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, DFT calculations, and transient absorbance spectroscopy indicate the SLG has little electronic impact on the individual semiconductors. In the CsPbBr3/SLG/CsPbI3, we find a type I band alignment that supports transfer of photogenerated carriers across the heterointerface. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) show electroluminescence from both the CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 layers with no evidence of ion diffusion during operation. Our approach provides opportunities to design novel all-perovskite heterostructures to facilitate the control of charge and light in optoelectronic applications.

Peripherally mixed halogenated boron subphthalocyanines

The goal of this study was to develop mixtures of peripherally halogenated boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPcs) to explore these macrocycles as mixed alloys for applications within the organic electronic space. These halogenated BsubPc mixtures were synthesized by reacting mixtures of commercially available phthalonitriles, namely 4,5-dichlorophthalonitrile (Cl2-pn), 4,5-difluorophthalonitrile (F2-pn), tetrachlorophthalonitrile (Cl4-pn), and tetrafluorophthalonitrile (F4-pn), with boron trichloride (BCl[Formula: see text] to achieve mixed halogenation upon formation of the BsubPcs. More specifically, as named, Cl2-pn + F2-pn and Cl4-pn + F4-pn mixtures were used to form Cl-Cl[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]BsubPc and Cl-Cl[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]BsubPc, respectively. To establish a firm synthetic methodology, the reaction kinetics of forming the BsubPc mixtures from their respective phthalonitrile mixtures were compared to the kinetics of the standard procedures forming the individual BsubPcs, for example, Cl-Cl[Formula: see text]BsubPc from Cl4-pn. As we use BCl3 to form the BsubPcs, the axial bond is in general chloride, but we observed again random fluoride axial exchange, and therefore moved to the second step to have complete axial fluorination. Crude mixed halogenated BsubPcs were sublimed at high purities to enable physical characterization, including a study of UV-Vis absorption spectra differentiation, and cyclic (CV) and differential pulse voltammograms (DPV) electrochemical differentiation. We also did density functional theory (DFT) calculations for points of physical properties comparison. The comparison points are together with fully peripherally chlorinated Cl[Formula: see text]BsubPcs and fluorinated F[Formula: see text]BsubPcs. Given the outcomes, we foresee in future studies the ability to tune different ratios of peripherally halogenated BsubPc mixtures via synthetic tools, to enable tuning of the HOMO LUMO energy levels, which could consequently tune their application and performance in organic electronics.

Aluminium use in passenger cars poses systemic challenges for recycling and GHG emissions

The demand for automotive aluminium is expected to boom in the coming decades given current trends in the passenger car market, such as electrification, light-weighting, customers’ preference for larger cars (SUVs) and growing global car ownership and population, resulting in a growing challenge for the aluminium sector to curb GHG emissions. We develop a new multilayer dynamic material flow analysis model to analyse the combined effects of those drivers on the automotive aluminium cycle and related GHG emissions. Our results show that (i) aluminium use in passenger cars is likely to quadruple towards 2050 (ii) emissions resulting from aluminium production will be a major part of the carbon footprint of cars (iii) electric vehicles require more wrought aluminium, leading to a surplus of mixed alloys and castings scrap which can only be mitigated through the introduction of alloy sorting technologies and/or an increase in vehicle lifetime (iv) given the expected fast growth in automotive aluminium demand, an overall emission reduction in the aluminium industry would require an even faster penetration of low-carbon technologies in the energy and aluminium production sectors, which may, in turn, increase aluminium demand even further.

Microstructure and flexural strength of C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites prepared by reactive melt infiltration method

C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites were fabricated via reactive melt infiltration (RMI) of the mixed HfSi2 and ZrSi2 alloys. The microstructure, infiltration behavior of the hybrid silicide alloys infiltrating C/C composites, and flexural strength of C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites was studied. Inside composites, there were more Hf-rich (Hf, Zr)C phases distributed in the exterior region, while more SiC and Zr-rich (Zr, Hf)Si2 in the interior region. There was compositional segregation in (Hf, Zr)C, with the HfC content decreasing from the exterior region to interior region. The RMI process was performed at different temperatures to investigate the structural evolution, and a model for the reactive melt infiltration of the mixed HfSi2 and ZrSi2 alloys into C/C composites was established. Compared with C/HfC-SiC and C/ZrC-SiC prepared by same process, C/HfC-ZrC-SiC had the highest flexural strength of 247Mpa and 213Mpa after oxidation at 1200 ℃ for 15 min. Both the unoxidized and oxidized samples presented a pseudo-plastic fracture behavior.

Fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder by a novel sintering-deoxygenation process

Given the high cost of fabricating the Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder by the traditional hydriding-dehydriding and atomization methods, a novel sintering-deoxygenation process was proposed and studied in this research. With the help of the developed deoxygenation treatment, value-added raw materials such as Ti sponge can be substituted by low-cost and low-grade materials with high oxygen content. In addition, sintering in a solid state saves a significant amount of processing energy compared to alloying above the melting point of Ti in the conventional alloy production process. This paper prepared six sintering precursors with different initial compositions and oxygen contents using the low-valued raw materials of crude titanium, crude vanadium, V2O3, Al powder, and Al2O3 powder. These precursors' sintering performances on shrinkage, phase composition, microstructure, and porosity were investigated. The results show that the sintering shrinkage is positively correlated with the sintering temperature and holding time and is also affected by the raw materials. The pellet made by mixed crude titanium and AlV master alloy showed the largest shrinkage and the densest bulk. The various combinations of the raw materials led to the changes in the oxygen contents in the precursors, the alpha-beta phase ratio, and the shift of the diffraction peaks of the α-phase. The dissolving of the AlV master alloy and the formation of the Ti3Al intermediate phase took place during sintering due to diffusion. Sintering at 900–1000 °C is critical for elemental diffusion and densification, and sintering at higher temperatures is decisive for microstructure homogenization and further densification. Using the hydrogen-assisted Mg deoxygenation method, all the sintered samples could be treated to an oxygen level of around 0.4 wt% regardless of oxygen content in precursors. The contents of Ti, Al, V, and Fe in the obtained Ti-6Al-4V powders met the requirements of GB/T 34486-2017. This research has demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder by the novel sintering-deoxygenation process.

Photo-induced macro/mesoscopic scale ion displacement in mixed-halide perovskites: ring structures and ionic plasma oscillations

Contrary to the common belief that the light-induced halide ion segregation in a mixed halide alloy occurs within the illuminated area, we find that the Br ions released by light are expelled from the illuminated area, which generates a macro/mesoscopic size anion ring surrounding the illuminated area, exhibiting a photoluminescence ring. This intriguing phenomenon can be explained as resulting from two counter-balancing effects: the outward diffusion of the light-induced free Br ions and the Coulombic force between the anion deficit and surplus region. Right after removing the illumination, the macro/mesoscopic scale ion displacement results in a built-in voltage of about 0.4 V between the ring and the center. Then, the displaced anions return to the illuminated area, and the restoring force leads to a damped ultra-low-frequency oscillatory ion motion, with a period of about 20–30 h and lasting over 100 h. This finding may be the first observation of an ionic plasma oscillation in solids. Our understanding and controlling the “ion segregation” demonstrate that it is possible to turn this commonly viewed “adverse phenomenon” into novel electronic applications, such as ionic patterning, self-destructive memory, and energy storage.

Manipulation of micromagnetic structure of thin Co/Pt multilayer films by precise variation of Co and Pt thicknesses

We have investigated the magnetic properties and micromagnetic structure of multilayer Co/Pt films with the variation of bilayer thickness ([Co(0.3 × t nm)/Pt(0.5 × t nm)]10). The films represent Co-Pt alloys with periodic Co vs Pt composition. The magnetic force microscopy and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy have demonstrated the presence of N é el-type skyrmions in the films. The density of skyrmions was found to be strongly dependent on the bilayer thickness parameter (t). The effect is attributed to Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction which is known to be strongly dependent on the regularities of magnetic and nonmagnetic layers alternation. We emphasize that the investigated system represents an intermediate case between unalloyed multilayer films and uniformly mixed alloys. Despite that it demonstrates similar micromagnetic behavior with skyrmion density very well controllable by modulation of technological parameters.

Laser Additive Manufacturing of Duplex Stainless Steel via Powder Mixture

Laser additively manufactured duplex stainless steels contain mostly ferrite in the as-built parts due to rapid solidification of the printed layers. To achieve duplex microstructures (ferrite and austenite in roughly equal proportions) and, thus, a good combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, an austenitic stainless steel powder (X2CrNiMo17-12-2) and a super duplex stainless steel powder (X2CrNiMoN25-7-4) were mixed in different proportions and the powder mixtures were processed via PBF-LB/M (Laser Powder Bed Fusion) under various processing conditions by varying the laser power and the laser scanning speed. The optimal process parameters for dense as-built parts were determined by means of light optical microscopy and density measurements. The austenitic and ferritic phase formation of the mixed alloys was significantly influenced by the chemical composition adjusted by powder mixing and the laser energy input during PBF-LB/M. The austenite content increases, on the one hand, with an increasing proportion of X2CrNiMo17-12-2 in the powder mixtures and on the other hand with increasing laser energy input. The latter phenomenon could be attributed to a slower solidification and a higher melt pool homogeneity with increasing energy input influencing the phase formation during solidification and cooling. The desired duplex microstructures could be achieved by mixing the X2CrNiMo17-12-2 powder and the X2CrNiMoN25-7-4 powder at a specific mixing ratio and building with the optimal PBF-LB/M parameters.

Experimental investigation for cutting performance of cemented carbide cutting insert developed through microwave sintering

In this paper cemented carbide cutting insert with the variation of cobalt alloy has been developed through sintering via microwave radiation processing technique. The Compact samples of uniform mixed WC-2Co and WC-4Co alloy powder has been placed in a microwave sintering furnace cavity and heated at an equal heating rate i.e. 40°C/min upto 1450°C. The sintered sample has been characterized for properties like densities, Vickers hardness, and fracture toughness. The relative densities of the sample are found to be 90–95% of the theoretical density. The highest Vickers hardness and toughness are found to be 1830 HV and 12.28 MPa. (m)-1/2 for WC-2Co and WC-4Co samples. The hardness and toughness properties are found to increase with an increase in the temperature. With an increase in the percentage of binder, i.e. Co in the alloys the toughness characteristic of sintered sample is found to increase whereas hardness decreases. The sintered specimen has been modified for cutting edges accordingly to act as a cutting insert. The machining of duplex stainless steel has been performed by using sintered samples. The machining performance for the prepared tool has been compared with the standard tool. The maximum cutting force required during the machining is approximately 650 N and it is 10–12% higher than the standard tool. Surface roughness during the machining has been found to be 2.83 μm during the machining. Thus, a comparable cutting insert with high-quality mechanical properties has been developed using microwave sintering.