Matrix Phase Research Articles

The high strength and ductility mechanism of Zn-0.45Mn-0.8Li alloys with heterogeneous lamellar structure

The high strength and ductility Zn–Mn–Li alloys with heterogeneous lamellar (HL) structure were prepared by rotary swaging. Li(Mn,Zn)4 phase was identified as the matrix phase. Grain refinement and hetero-deformation induced strengthening. Grain sliding and activation of more pyramidal slip system increase the strain.

Simultaneously improved mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Mg-10.02Li-5.69Al-0.08Er alloy by solutionizing treatments

This study explores the impact of varying solutionizing treatment temperatures on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Mg-10.02Li-5.69Al-0.08Er (LA106) alloy. Results revealed that the alloy treated at 400 °C exhibits a good combination of comprehensive mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. After solutionizing treatment at 400 ℃, solution strengthening and the rod-like α phase shrinks along the width direction and transforms into a needle-like structure, which helps to hinder the dislocation movement and consequently enhancing the strength of the alloy. Additionally, the fine particles and needle-like α phase coordinate deformation with the β phase matrix, maintaining acceptable ductility. The alloy treated at 400 °C demonstrates superior corrosion resistance, primarily attributed to the needle-like α phase effectively impeding corrosion propagation. Furthermore, fine particles with relatively negative Volta potential, distributed within the α phase and β phase, effectively mitigate microgalvanic corrosion between the α phase and β phase. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the corrosion resistance of the LA106 alloy at 250 ℃ and 300 ℃ is lower than that observed at 400 ℃. This can be ascribed to the abundance of precipitates distribute along the grain boundaries, leading to galvanic corrosion and subsequently reducing the corrosion resistance.

Obtaining cellulose nanocrystals by acid hydrolysis procedure; and their use as reinforcement in polylactide biocomposites

In the first step of this study, purpose was to obtain and characterize cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) particles by applying sulfuric acid hydrolysis method to the starting material of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) fibrils. After obtaining CNC particles via acid hydrolysis procedure, various analyses (SEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD, TGA) conducted revealed that average size of round shaped CNC particles was 38 nm with −30.4 mV Zeta potential value. They had monoclinic Cellulose-I crystal structure with Crystallinity Index of 80.6% and Crystallite Size of 3.39 nm. Their maximum thermal degradation temperature was 307°C with 23 wt% residue at 800°C. In the second step, the main aim was to investigate contribution of these obtained CNC particles when they were used as nano-reinforcement in polylactide (PLA) matrix biocomposites produced by industrially compatible melt mixing and shaping techniques. Mechanical tests revealed that when only 1 wt% CNC particles were incorporated into PLA matrix, increases in flexural strength and modulus were 29% and 51%; while increases in K IC and G IC fracture toughness values were 42% and 105%, respectively. Because, high degree of hydroxyl groups and presence of sulfate half-ester groups on the surfaces of CNC particles improved the interfacial interactions between the matrix and nano-reinforcement phase, leading to efficiency in strengthening and toughening mechanisms.

Effect of Preparation Process on the Microstructure and Characteristics of TiAl Pre-Alloyed Powder Fabricated by Plasma Rotating Electrode Process

TiAl pre-alloyed powder is the foundation for additive manufacturing of TiAl alloys. In this work, TiAl pre-alloyed powder was prepared using a plasma rotating electrode process (PREP). The effects of electrode rotating speeds and current intensity on the microstructure and characteristics of TiAl pre-alloyed powder have been investigated in detail. The results show that the electrode rotating speeds mainly affected the average particle size of the powder (D50). As the electrode rotating speed increased, the D50 of the powder decreased. The current intensity mainly affected the particle size distribution of the powder. As the current intensity increased, the particle size distribution of the powder became narrower, which was concentrated at 45~105 μm. In addition, the current intensity had a significant effect on the sphericity degree of the powder with the particle size > 105 μm, but it had little effect on that <105 μm powder. TiAl pre-alloyed powder with a particle size > 45 μm demonstrated a dendritic + cellular structure, and the <45 μm powder had a microcrystalline structure. The powder was mainly composed of the α2 phase and γ phase. There were two kinds of phase structure inside the powder, namely the α2 + γ lamellar microstructure (particle size < 45 µm) and the α2 + γ network microstructure (particle size > 45 µm). The phase structure of the powder was related to the solidification path and cooling rate of molten droplets in the PREP. The average thickness of the α2 + γ lamellar was about 200 nm, in which the lamellar γ phases were arranged in an orderly manner in the α2 phase matrix with a thickness of about 20 nm. The network phase structure was corrugated, and the morphology of the γ phase was not obvious.

Influence of GH4169 addition on cracking control, microstructure and mechanical properties of GH4169/K465 composite material manufactured by selective laser melting

In the process of additive manufacturing, K465 nickel-based superalloy tends to form a eutectic structure with a low melting point. Subsequently, rapid cooling leads to the formation of significant residual tensile stress. This tensile stress makes the prepared sample susceptible to cracking. The research explored the susceptibility to cracking of the alloy material and analyzed the microstructure and properties of GH4169/K465 alloy obtained. The generation of cracks can be managed by decreasing the concentration of Al and Ti elements. The microstructure of GH4169/K465 alloy consists of a matrix phase γ, a white Laves precipitated phase, and spherical particle precipitated phase NbTi4. The mechanical properties of samples 1GH1K, 7GH5K, and 3GH1K were analyzed. The results indicated an elongation exceeding 20 %, a tensile strength exceeding 1000 MPa, and a reduction in hardness from 329 HV to 285 HV. The powder mixing process has been demonstrated to effectively address the shortcomings of individual materials by combining the strengths of different alloy materials to produce a hybrid material with excellent comprehensive performance.

Revisiting porous foam Cu host based Li metal anode: The roles of lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of three-dimensional framework

Lithium (Li) metal anode (LMA) is one of the most promising anodes for high energy density batteries. However, its practical application is impeded by notorious dendrite growth and huge volume expansion. Although the three-dimensional (3D) host can enhance the cycling stability of LMA, further improvements are still necessary to address the key factors limiting Li plating/stripping behavior. Herein, porous copper (Cu) foam (CF) is thermally infiltrated with molten Li-rich Li-zinc (Li-Zn) binary alloy (CFLZ) with variable Li/Zn atomic ratio. In this process, the LiZn intermetallic compound phase self-assembles into a network of mixed electron/ion conductors that are distributed within the metallic Li phase matrix and this network acts as a sublevel skeleton architecture in the pores of CF, providing a more efficient and structured framework for the material. The as-prepared CFLZ composite anodes are systematically investigated to emphasize the roles of the tunable lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of the frameworks. Meanwhile, a thin layer of Cu-Zn alloy with strong lithiophilicity covers the CF scaffold itself. The CFLZ with high Zn content facilitates uniform Li nucleation and deposition, thereby effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth and volume fluctuation. Consequently, the hierarchical and lithiophilic framework shows low Li nucleation overpotential and highly stable Coulombic efficiency (CE) for 200 cycles in conventional carbonate based electrolyte. The full cell coupled with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode demonstrates high cycle stability and rate performance. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced dendrite-free 3D LMA toward practical application.

A rate-dependent cohesive zone model for dynamic crack growth in carbon nanotube reinforced polymers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhance the fracture toughness of polymer-based matrix composites by dissipating the fracture energy through the pull-out deformation damage mechanism. The rate-dependent behavior of the matrix phase and the CNT/matrix interface affects the contribution of CNTs in enhancing the fracture toughness under dynamic loading and rapid crack growth. A continuum-based finite element (FE) model is utilized in this research to analyze the CNT pull-out damage mechanism. The influence of CNTs on the dynamic fracture behavior of polymer-based composites is studied taking into account the crack opening speed and loading rate effects. The matrix phase is treated as a viscoelastic-viscoplastic material and a new rate-dependent cohesive zone model (CZM) is proposed for modeling the behavior of interface between the CNTs and matrix. The rate-dependent traction-separation laws for the cohesive zone elements are established at different pull-out or crack opening speeds. The proposed rate-dependent FE model of pull-out mechanism facilitates the investigation of the effective factors of CNTs, including length, orientation, and waviness, on fracture energy dissipation at different pull-out speeds. Developed model is very suitable for very long CNTs where atomistic-based molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics methods are associated with difficulties and are more costly and time-consuming.

Biodegradation behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) containing phenolic compounds in seawater in laboratory testing conditions

Biodegradation in marine medium of PHBV films with or without 5 % wt. of phenolic compounds (catechin, ferulic acid, and vanillin) was assessed at laboratory scale. Respirometric analyses and film disintegration kinetics were used to monitor the process over a period of 162 days. Structural changes in the films were analyzed throughout the exposure period using FESEM, DSC, Thermogravimetric analyses, XRD, and FTIR spectra. Respirometric tests showed complete biodegradation of all materials during the exposure period (the biodegradation half-time ranged between 63 and 79 days) but at different rates, depending on the phenolic compound incorporated. Ferulic acid and vanillin accelerate the PHBV biodegradation, whereas catechin delayed the process. Disintegration kinetics confirmed these results and showed that degradation occurred from the surface to the interior of the films. This was controlled by the degradation rate of the polymer amorphous phase and the formation of a biomass coating on the film surface. This is the result of the compounds generated by polymer degradation in combination with excretions from microorganisms. This coating has the potential to affect the enzyme diffusion to the polymer substrate. Moreover, the cohesion forces of the amorphous phase (reflected in its glass transition temperature) affected its degradation rate, while the slower degrading crystalline fragments were released, thus contributing to the disintegration process on the film's surface. Ferulic acid, with its hydrolytic effect, enhanced degradation, as did vanillin for its plasticizing and weakening effect in the amorphous phase of polymer matrix. In contrast, catechin with cross-linking effect hindered the progress of the material degradation, considerably slowing down the process rate.

Enhanced age hardening response of a Mg-Y alloy by Ca addition at an elevated temperature

The effect of Ca addition on the age hardening response and precipitation behavior of a Mg-7Y-0.5Zr (wt%) alloy during isothermal aging at 350 ℃ has been studied by hardness test and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The addition of 0.6 wt% Ca can effectively enhance the age hardening response of Mg-7Y-0.5Zr alloy at 350 ℃, and the enhanced hardness is mostly attributed to the uniform precipitation of a novel strengthening precipitate phase, designated βp. The βp phase forms as plates on {101̅0}α planes. It has a Cd45Sm11-type structure (space group F4̅3m, lattice parameter a = 2.24 nm) and a composition of Mg5Y0.8Ca0.2. Its orientation relationship with the α-Mg matrix phase is such that [1̅11]βp // [21̅1̅0]α and (110)βp // (0001)α. After prolonged aging at 350 ℃, the metastable phase βp can transform in-situ to the equilibrium phase β-Mg24Y5 with a cube-to-cube orientation relationship. The βp → β phase transformation is associated with the transition of constituent atomic clusters and the re-distribution of selected atoms within clusters.

Corrosion Behavior of CMT Cladding Layer of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy Subjected to Friction Stir Processing.

Friction stir processing (FSP) was performed on an AZ91 magnesium alloy cladding layer fabricated by a cold metal transfer (CMT) technique. Electrochemical properties and immersion corrosion behavior of the cladding layer before and after FSP in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution were investigated. After applying the FSP, the corrosion potential and corrosion current density of the cladding layer increased from -1.455 V to -1.397 V and decreased from 4.135 μA/cm2 to 1.275 μA/cm2, respectively. The results of OM and SEM displayed the refinement of grains and the dispersion of β-Mg17Al12 second phase in the friction stir processed (FSPed) cladding layer and more severe corrosion of the unprocessed sample. The corrosion rate of the FSPed cladding layer was lower, and a more compact corrosion product film was formed on the surface of the FSPed cladding layer. EDS results and XRD patterns showed that the corrosion products was mainly composed of Mg(OH)2. The increase in Al content in the α-Mg matrix, grain refinement, and fragmentation and dispersion of the β-Mg17Al12 second phase induced by FSP were the main factors that led to the improvement in corrosion resistance of the cladding layer of the AZ91 magnesium alloy fabricated by CMT.

Post-Processing Effect on the Corrosion Resistance of Super Duplex Stainless Steel Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

This study examines the microstructural characteristics and corrosion resistance of super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) produced through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The analysis shows that the as-printed samples mainly exhibit a ferritic microstructure, which is due to the fast-cooling rates of the LPBF technique. X-ray and microstructure analyses reveal the presence of minor austenite phases in the ferritic matrix. The process of solution annealing led to a more balanced microstructure. Analyses of corrosion resistance, such as potentiodynamic polarization tests and EIS, indicate that heat treatment has a significant impact on the corrosion behavior of SDSS. Solution annealing and stress relieving at 400 °C for 1 h can improve corrosion resistance by increasing polarization resistance and favorable EIS parameters. However, stress relieving at 550 °C for 5 h may reduce the material's corrosion resistance due to the formation of chromium nitride. Therefore, stress relieving at 400 °C for 1 h is a practical method to significantly enhance the corrosion resistance of LPBF-printed SDSS. This method offers a balance between microstructural integrity and material performance.

Partitioning photochemically formed CO2 into clathrate hydrate under interstellar conditions.

Clathrate hydrates (CHs), host-guest compounds of water forming hydrogen-bonded cages around guest molecules, are now known to exist under interstellar conditions. Experimental evidence demonstrated that prolonged thermal treatment of a solid mixture of water and CO2/CH4 produces CHs at 10-30 K under simulated interstellar conditions. However, in the current study, we show that CO2 produced photochemically by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of H2O-CO mixtures at 10 K and ∼10-10 mbar, gets partitioned into its CH phase and a matrix phase embedded in amorphous ice. The process occurring under simulated interstellar conditions was studied at different temperatures and H2O-CO compositions. The formation of CO2 CH and other photoproducts was confirmed using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. The UV-induced photodesorption event of CO2 may provide the mobility required for the formation of CHs, while photoproducts like methanol can stabilize such CH structures. Our study suggests that new species originating during such energetic processing in ice matrices may form CH, potentially altering the chemical composition of astrophysical environments.

Non-universal Milan factors for QCD jets

Using the dispersive method we perform a two-loop analysis of the leading non-perturbative power correction to the change in jet transverse momentum pT, in the small R limit of a Cambridge-Aachen jet clustering algorithm. We frame the calculation in such a way so as to maintain connection with the universal “Milan factor” that corrects for the naive inclusive treatment of the leading hadronization corrections. We derive an enhancement factor that differs from the universal Milan factor computed for event-shape variables as well as the corresponding enhancement factor previously derived for the kt algorithm. Our calculation directly exploits the soft and triple-collinear limit of the QCD matrix element and phase space, which is relevant for capturing the coefficient of the leading 1/R power correction. As an additional check on our approach, we also independently confirm the known result for the kt algorithm.

Phase stability of W-containing high-entropy carbide with silicon addition at high temperatures

Reactive melt infiltration (RMI) is a typical method to produce carbon fiber-reinforced ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (Cf/UHTCs), for which the molten Si is a very general and practical infiltrator. High-entropy carbide (HE-carbide) is a newly developed promising matrix phase of Cf/UHTCs. Understanding the phase equilibrium relation in the HE-carbide and Si reaction system can provide accurate guidance on designing the RMI process for preparing HE-carbide matrix composites with controlled phases and microstructure. This study systematically investigates W-containing HE-carbide and Si addition reactions at high temperatures. Samples with nominal starting compositions of (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2W0.2)C-xSi (HEC-xSi, x = 2.5, 5 and 10 wt%) are prepared by spark plasma sintering technique at 1500 °C and 1700 °C with an axial pressure of 40 MPa for 10 min. The results show that adding 2.5 wt% or 5 wt% Si removes carbon from the HEC matrix, forming SiC and stable equimolar (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2W0.2)C1-x phase with carbon deficiency at high temperatures. In contrast, besides the SiC phase, the addition of 10 wt% Si in the HEC matrix may form unstable transient phases of (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2W0.2)C1-x with supersaturated carbon deficiencies at high temperatures, which finally decomposes into non-equimolar HE-carbide (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2W0.2-y)C1-z and metal silicide WSi2 phases. The effects of the HEC and Si reactions on the microstructure evolution of the samples during sintering are discussed. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of the samples with the reaction resulting microstructure are measured and briefly discussed.

Evaluation of the effect of strontium and tungsten carbide on the microstructure evolution, tribological and mechanical behaviour of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-5Sr-WC metal matrix composite

The present study focused on the experimental investigation of the metallurgical, tribological, and mechanical behavior of the developed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sr-WC (Al7075-Sr-WC) metal matrix composite. The effect of the reinforcements such as strontium and tungsten carbide (WC) along with a 2 wt% magnesium as the wetting agent during the stir casting of the synthesized aluminum metal matrix composite (MMC) was investigated by varying the weight percentages. The microstructure examination was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. Wear analysis and mechanical testing were conducted to study the effect of WC particles in the matrix phase by examining their wear rate, tensile strength, proof strength, and hardness values. From the mechanical and tribological tests, it was observed that there was an increase of 55% in hardness and 43% in tensile strength, along with a 31% reduction in wear rate. The secondary phases revealed from XRD analysis lead to more hardness along the refined grain boundaries. The tensile strength of the composite initially increased with a 3 wt% of WC and 5 wt% strontium due to hindrance to the dislocation movement but decreased with more reinforcement particles caused by brittleness. The hard WC particles presence has reduced the wear rate significantly due to its resistance towards abrasive wear and lubricating effect. The unique combination of a grain refiner and a binder helped develop a novel composite with superior characteristics that could replace many aerospace components made up of Al7075 alloy.

Low temperature sintering and enhanced piezoelectric properties of BiFeO3–BaTiO3 ceramics by homogeneous calcination

The effect of calcination process on a phase evolution, a microstructure development and the piezoelectric properties were investigated in 0.75BiFeO3-0.25BaTiO3 (0.75BF-0.25BT) ceramics. At the relatively low calcination temperatures of 600 °C–650 °C, a Bi25FeO40 impurity phase was formed in addition to some unreacted raw materials and a perovskite phase. As the calcination temperature increased to the range of 700–900 °C, other intermediate phase BaBi4Ti4O15 was formed concurrently with small amounts of unreacted BaCO3 and perovskite matrix phase. At 950 °C a pure single perovskite phase of 0.75BF-0.25BT solid solution was observed. The sintered samples produced by using the raw powder calcined at a relatively low temperature of 600–900 °C showed a large fraction of pseudo-cubic relaxor phase (0.54–0.71 mass fraction) with the rest of a rhombohedral ferroelectric phase. They showed poor piezoelectric properties at sintering temperature below 1000 °C due to the nonuniform compositional distribution of the calcined powder. The homogeneous calcination at 950 °C for 2 h reduced greatly the optimum sintering temperature and significantly enhanced piezoelectric properties in the BF-BT ceramics. High Curie temperature as well as high piezoelectric properties were obtained at the sintering temperature as low as 920 °C: kp = 0.361, d33 = 123 pC/N and TC = 653 °C in the 0.75BF-0.25BT ceramics and kp = 0.337, d33 = 183 pC/N and TC = 525 °C in the 0.7BF-0.3BT ceramics. This low temperature sintering of the BF-BT ceramics by a homogeneous calcination could be applied to the fabrication of the lead-free multi-layer piezoelectric devices with inexpensive internal electrodes.

Annealing-induced multi-heterogeneous microstructure strengthening in FeCoCrNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloys

In this study, by conducting cryogenic rolling (CR) followed by short-term annealing (CRA), we achieved the annealing-induced hardening in a single-phase FCC FeCoCrNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloy by introducing multiple heterostructures structures. Through this approach, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and tensile fracture elongation of CRA alloy were increased from 1116.8 MPa to 1286.1 MPa, 1363.2 MPa to 1576.3 MPa and 5.4–6.9 %, respectively. Furthermore, a broader steady state of strain softening behavior was found in the CRA alloy, which is attributed to the additional strengthening and hardening effects resulting from high density of deformation nanotwins and phase transformations. Additionally, the research results show that the ultra-high strength and sufficient ductility of CRA alloy are attributed to the synergistic effect of multiple mechanisms, such as strengthening induced by heterogeneous microstructure of σ precipitate/HCP phase/FCC matrix phase, and high work hardening ability caused by the heterogeneity of high density deformation nanotwins, geometrically necessary dislocations (GND), stacking faults (SFs) and Lomer-Cottrell locks (L-C locks) nano-scale defects. This work provides useful insights for alloys that involves multiple heterogeneous microstructures strengthening and provides a promising approach for the design and manufacture of high-strength structural materials.

Repairable and Reconfigurable Structured Liquid Circuits

AbstractThe advance of printed electronics is significantly bolstered by the development of liquid‐state electronics that overcome the inherent limitations in flexibility and reconfigurability of solid‐state electronics. By integrating the biocompatibility and conductivity of sulfonated polyaniline (S‐PANI) and phytic acid (PA) with the reconfigurability of structured liquids, highly conductive all‐liquid threads are developed. The dense packing and overlap of PA/S‐PANI complexes at an oil/water interface promotes in‐plane electron transport, and standard four‐point probe measurements of PA/S‐PANI interfacial assemblies demonstrate enhanced electrical properties. Notably, the rapid jetting of the ink phase into the matrix phase allows for liquid threads to be printed, enabling the fabrication of large‐scale, conductive pathways between two electrodes and liquid circuits. Upon mechanical cleavage of the liquid wires, circuits can be broken, but will easily self‐repair using an electric field, making this motif useful in the design of switches as well as restoring conductive pathways in series or in parallel. The demonstrated flexibility and reconfigurability these PA/S‐PANI wires possess hold significant promise for their practical use in the design of flexible and adaptive bioelectronics that can be repaired on demand, signifying a transformative step in the evolution of liquid electronic materials.

A novel method to enhance the superconducting properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ superconducting thin films by self-assembly NiO nanorods

The utilization of Bi-based superconductors in magnetic field environments is limited due to their anisotropic structure and lack of efficient magnetic flux pinning sites. Therefore, to enhance the performance of Bi-based superconductors in a magnetic field, this study presents the preparation of Bi2212 high-temperature superconducting thin films with varying NiO doping levels on SrTiO3 (STO) single crystal substrates with different concentrations of NiO seed layers via the self-assembly method. Additionally, phase purity, crystal structure, surface morphology, and transport properties were thoroughly analyzed. According to the results, the NiO seed layers prepared on the STO substrates presented epitaxial growth characteristics, with the NiO second phase in the Bi2212 matrix growing epitaxially along the seed layers. As NiO doping slightly broadens the phase formation temperature range of Bi2212 superconducting thin films, the self-assembly method can be utilized to prepare NiO nanorods with epitaxial growth in Bi2212 thin films. Notably, the self-assembled NiO-doped Bi2212 thin film demonstrated higher critical current carrying capacity, with its Jc reaching 6.28 × 104 A/cm2 at 10 K in self-field. This provides a technical reference for improving the performance of high-temperature superconducting thin films under a high magnetic field.

Developing Zn-2Cu-xLi (x < 0.1 wt %) alloys with suitable mechanical properties, degradation behaviors and cytocompatibility for vascular stents

Biodegradable Zn alloys show great potential for vascular stents due to their moderate degradation rates and acceptable biocompatibility. However, the poor mechanical properties limit their applications. In this study, low alloyed Zn-2Cu-xLi (x = 0.004, 0.01, 0.07 wt %) alloys with favorable mechanical properties were developed. The microstructure consists of fine equiaxed η-Zn grains, micron, submicron-sized and coherent nano ε-CuZn4 phases. The introduced Li exists as a solute in the η-Zn matrix and ε-CuZn4 phase, and results in the increase of ε-CuZn4 volume fraction, the refinement of grains and more uniform distribution of grain sizes. As Li content increases, the strength of alloys is dramatically improved by grain boundary strengthening, precipitate strengthening of ε-CuZn4 and solid solution strengthening of Li. Zn-2Cu-0.07Li alloy has the optimal mechanical properties with a tensile yield strength of 321.8 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 362.3 MPa and fracture elongation of 28.0 %, exceeding the benchmark of stents. It also has favorable mechanical property stability, weak tension compression yield asymmetry and strain rate sensitivity. It exhibits uniform degradation and a little improved degradation rate of 89.5 μm∙year−1, due to the improved electrochemical activity by increased ε-CuZn4 volume fraction, and generates Li2CO3 and LiOH. It shows favorable cytocompatibility without adverse influence on endothelial cell viability by trace Li+. The fabricated microtubes show favorable mechanical properties, and stents exhibit an average radial strength of 118 kPa. The present study indicates that Zn-2Cu-0.07Li alloy is a potential and promising candidate for vascular stent applications. Statement of significanceZn alloys are promising candidates for biodegradable vascular stents. However, improving their mechanical properties is challenging. Combining the advantages of Cu and trace Li, Zn-2Cu-xLi (x < 0.1 wt %) alloys were developed for stents. As Li increases, the strength of alloys is dramatically improved by refined grains, increased volume fraction of ε-CuZn4 and solid solution of Li. Zn-2Cu-0.07Li alloy exhibits a TYS exceeding 320 MPa, UTS exceeding 360 MPa and fracture EL of nearly 30 %. It shows favorable mechanical stability, degradation behaviors and cytocompatibility. The alloy was fabricated into microtubes and stents for mechanical property tests to verify application feasibility for the first time. This indicates that Zn-2Cu-0.07Li alloy has great potential for vascular stent applications.