Post Heat Research Articles

Exploring the cutting edge: Recent trends in cold metal transfer welding

Cold metal transfer welding is known for its automated welding process, which is equipped with shortcircuit-based deposition of filler wire, which allows it to control its heat input parameter properly along with a wire feed rate. Cold metal transfer’s main characteristic, which greatly affected the manufacturing industries, is joining thin, similar, or dissimilar metal sheets as the processing heat input is minimal. This review paper (covering 104 studies) examines how joining different metals with varying welding parameters affects their weld appearance, microstructure, tensile strength, and the formation of joint failure. The main focus was on what additional methods, like hardfacing or post-heat treatment of material, must be adopted to enhance the joint's weld quality and appearance. The paper starts with the investigation of numerous dissimilar weld joints formed by the cold metal transfer technique, along with the effect of varying welding parameters and ultrasonic-assisted cold metal transfer hybrid welding on the weld quality and post–pre-weld heat treatment of materials. A comparison of different cold metal transfer arc modes employed in wire-arc additive manufacturing has also been discussed briefly. At the end of the analysis, it was noted that some metal joints had a positive impact, and some gained a negative effect while increasing the heat input. The research articles studied in this paper indicate that not every material would exhibit the same welding property when subjected to a specific set of varying welding parameters.

Vibration absorption of as-built and post-heat-treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Vibration absorption of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (LPBF-AM) was evaluated following as-built and post-heat treatment (i.e., solution treatment followed by water quenching). The base plate was heated at 50°C or 200°C during building. Results showed that the vibration absorption of the as-built Ti-6Al-4V alloy was higher when the base plate was heated at 50°C than at 200°C. Further, the vibration absorption indicated strong anisotropy, with the highest vibration absorption in the direction perpendicular to the building direction and transverse to the laser scanning direction. However, after solution treatment followed by water quenching, the anisotropy in the vibration absorption of the LPBF-AMed Ti-6Al-4V alloy practically disappeared, and relatively high values were obtained parallel to each direction.

The corrosion performance for ultrafine WC-12Co processed by heat treatments in different pH solutions

The corrosion performance of WC-12Co after different post heat treatments (1100 °C, 1100 °C + 400 °C, 1100 °C + 500 °C, 1100 °C + 600 °C), were tested in 0.05 M H2SO4, 0.1 M Na2SO4, and 0.1 M NaOH. Heat treatments influence the corrosion performance of WC-12Co in acidic and neutral environments. However, the corrosion properties for WC-12CO in alkaline solutions are independent of the heat treatments. W and C diffuse to Co from the quenching process, dramatically improving corrosion resistance, with higher annealing temperature slightly reduces the corrosion performance. The rank of corrosion nucleation parameter tested by EIS and potentio-dynamic polarisation, with the corrosion expansion rate measured by potentio-static polarisation at +0.2 VSCE, + 0.5 VSCE, and + 0.8 VSCE for 30 min are not the same. The corrosion mechanism tested in different pH values is analysed using SEM, XPS, and DFT calculations.

Regulation of Osteogenic and Angiogenic Markers in Alkali Treated Titanium for Hard Tissue Engineering Applications.

Titanium (Ti) and Ti alloys are of great interest in bone and dental tissue engineering applications due to their biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and close mechanical properties to natural bone. However, the formation of fibrous tissue prevents osteointegration and results in implant loosening. Thus, physical and chemical methods are used to improve the surface properties of Ti. This study aimed to understand the role of alkali treatment conditions, including alkali medium concentration, temperature, rotation speed, and post-heat treatment. Our results showed that alkali treatment using 5 and 10 molar sodium hydroxide solution allows the formation of web-like microstructure. However, a higher concentration of 15 molar resulted in cracks along the surface. Interaction between the human fetal osteoblast cells (hfOBs) and Ti samples showed that heat treatment is necessary for increased cellular proliferation, which was not significantly different at later time points compared to the polished Ti. Alkali heat treatment did not induce inflammatory reactions at later time points. It showed an increase in vascular endothelial growth factor, osteoprotegerin/nuclear factor kappa-В ligand ratio, and osteocalcin expression, which is evidence for accelerated osteoblast cell maturation and bone remodeling in surface-modified samples. Together, these data show that alkali treatment using 5 or 10 molar of NaOH followed by heat treatment may have therapeutic effect and assist with bone tissue integration with Ti implant.

Influence of post heat treatment on tribological and microstructural properties of plasma wire arc additive manufactured maraging steels

Abstract Metallic alloys are increasingly being produced using wired arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). In this study, 18Ni300 defect-free maraging steels were produced using the WAAM technique. A traditional solution treatment, direct aging, and cryogenic heat treatment processes were applied to the WAAM produced maraging steels. The influence of conventional and novel cryogenic heat treatments on microstructural, mechanical, and tribological properties were examined. The microstructure of the as-built materials obtained by WAAM thermal cycling has mainly been homogenized through the solution, direct-aging, and cryogenic heat treatments. As a result, homogeneously distributed precipitate phases were obtained and the hardness increased by 30 % with a combination different post heat treatments. The cryogenic heat treatment improved the martensitic transformation and facilitated the formation of various Fe–Ni–Mo–Ti-containing intermetallic precipitates. Similarly, because of the different heat treatments, the wear resistance improved by a factor of 2–5.5 relative to the as-built material. Adding the cryogenic heat treatment to the traditional heat treatment procedure improves wear resistance by a factor of 1.2–2.9.

Tuning α precipitation via post-heat treatments in direct energy deposited metastable β Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr alloy and its impact on mechanical properties

In this study, the strength and ductility of a direct energy deposited (DEDed) metastable β Ti-5Al-5Mo-5 V-3Cr (wt%, Ti-5553) alloy was explored by tuning the formation of various α microstructures through post-heat treatments. The microstructure of DEDed Ti-5553 with and without post-heat treatments was systematically studied using scanning electron microscopy, three-dimensional (3D) focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy tomography, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. Nanoscale ω phase and O′ phase particles were observed in the as-built DEDed Ti-5553 without post-heat treatment for the first time. By altering the aging temperatures and heating rates during post-heat treatments, various microstructural evolution pathways were activated, leading to α microstructures with different sizescales, morphologies, and number densities. By fast heating and isothermal aging at 600°C for 2 hours, refined α microstructure was formed through the pseudospinodal decomposition mechanism. While slow heating (at the heating rates of 5 °C/min or 0.5 °C/min) to 600°C and isothermal aging for 2 hours, super-refined α microstructures were produced respectively, primarily via ω-assisted and O′-assisted α precipitation mechanisms. By fast heating to and isothermal aging at 700°C, fine-scaled intragranular α microstructure was formed, dramatically different in morphology and sizescale from the coarse α microstructure formed in the casted Ti-5553, which is suspected to be related to the indirect influence of nanoscale isothermal ω phase particles formed during the DED process and the excess oxygen introduced during the DED process. With fast heating to and isothermal aging at 800°C, coarse α microstructure forms through the classical nucleation and growth mechanism. Various α microstructures led to a drastic change of mechanical properties with improvements up to a 55 % increase in hardness and 92 % increase in tensile yield strength, compared with as-built DEDed Ti-5553. Our work indicates the feasibility of achieving tailored mechanical properties in DEDed metastable β-Ti alloys by tuning α microstructures through selectively activating various phase transformation mechanisms via post-heat treatments.

Variation in microstructural features of melt-pool structure in laser powder bed fused Al–Fe–Cu alloy at elevated temperatures

The present study was undertaken to understand the effect of annealing on the microstructural features of the melt-pool structure and the associated multiscale mechanical properties of the Al–2.5%Fe–2%Cu alloy manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Microstructural characterizations and tensile tests were conducted for the LPBF-built specimen and those subsequently annealed at various temperatures ranging from 200 to 500 °C. Nanoindentation hardness mapping was used to evaluate the mechanical inhomogeneity of the melt-pool structure and its changes by annealing at different temperatures. The LPBF-manufactured sample exhibited a melt-pool structure containing numerous particles of the Al23CuFe4 phase (oC28, orthorhombic structure) formed because of local melting and rapid solidification during the LPBF process. The relatively coarsened cellular structure localized along the melt-pool boundary resulted in local soft regions. The local vulnerability contributed to the direction dependence of the tensile ductility. A slight variation was observed in the inhomogeneous microstructure of the samples annealed at 200 or 300 °C. The formation of numerous Al23CuFe4 nanoprecipitates in the α-Al supersaturated solid solution prevented strength loss after post-heat treatments. In addition, considerable coarsening of the intermetallic phase after annealing at 500 °C eliminated the melt-pool structure. The tensile performance of the specimens demonstrated a ductile fracture mode, wherein ductile fracture occurred in the α-Al matrix with low hardness while the harder θ-Al13Fe4 stable phase was embedded within it. The anisotropy in the mechanical properties was less pronounced owing to the significant microstructural changes.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of maraging steel by additive manufacturing

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a revolutionary and innovative technology that provides advanced technical support for the forming of parts with high precision and complex structures. In this work, a new type of Fe-Ni-Mo-Ti-Al-Y cobalt-free maraging steel was successfully fabricated by LPBF. The additive manufacturing parameters and the microstructural evolution of cobalt-free maraging steel under different heat treatment parameters were systematically studied. The results show that the parts without cracks and close to complete density can be fabricated under a wide LPBF process window. The dislocation cell with 500 nm in the printing state makes the material have good plasticity. After post-heat treatment, the preferred orientation of LPBF maraging steel is reduced, but the typical characteristics of molten pool and cellular structure in maraging steel disappeared, which is the result of local composition and microstructure homogenization. The elongation of LPBF maraging steel in solution annealed state is higher than that in as-printed state, which is due to the reduction of dislocation density and grain coarsening. However, after direct aging, due to the formation of nano-sized Ni3(Ti, Mo) precipitates in the matrix, the mechanical properties of the material were effectively enhanced, and the tensile strength increases from ∼1.1 GPa in as-printed state to ∼1.6 GPa in aging state. In contrast, the corrosion resistance of as-printed maraging steel is higher and comparable to that of traditional cobalt-containing maraging steel. However, the corrosion resistance of LPBF maraging steel after being aged is reduced, which is due to the existence of precipitates and dislocations. This study provides a theoretical reference for the composition design and strengthening mechanism of LPBF cobalt-free maraging steel.

The Influence of Post-Treatment on Micropore Evolution and Mechanical Performance in AlSi10Mg Alloy Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

Gas-induced porosity is almost inevitable in additively manufactured aluminum alloys due to the evaporation of low-melting point elements (e.g., Al, Mg, and Zn) and the encapsulation of gases (e.g., hydrogen) during the multiple-phase reaction in the melt pool. These micropores are highly unstable during post-heat treatment at elevated temperatures and greatly affect mechanical properties and service reliability. In this study, the AlSi10Mg samples prepared by LPBF were subjected to solution heat treatment at 560 °C for 0.5 and 2 h, followed by artificial aging at 160 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C, respectively. The defect tolerance of gas porosity and associated damage mechanisms in the as-built and heat treated AlSi10Mg alloy were elucidated using optical, scanning electron microscopic analysis, X-ray micro computed tomography (XCT) and room temperature tensile testing. The results showed the defect tolerance of AlSi10Mg alloy prepared by LPBF was significantly reduced by the artificial aging treatment due to the precipitation of Mg-Si phases. Fracture analysis showed that the cooperation of fine precipitates and coarsened micropores assists nucleation and propagation of microcracks sites due to stress concentration upon tensile deformation and reduces the tensile elongation at break.

Investigations on tribological behavior under lubricated condition of post heat treated additively manufactured SS316L parts

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the friction and wear mechanisms in lubricated sliding conditions of additively manufactured SS316L parts. The different viscous oils 5W30, 15W40, 20W50 and SAE140 are used. These investigations provide a theoretical basis for the high performance of printed and postheattreated SS316L.Design/methodology/approachTribological tests were carried out on selective laser melting-made SS316L printed specimens and heat-treated specimens. The parameters in 15 min of test duration are 20 N of load, 200 rpm, 8 mm of pin diameter, 25 mm length, 80 mm of track diameter and EN31 counter disc body. This work presented the phenomena of lubrication regimes and their characterization, as identified by the Stribeck curve, and these regimes affect the tribological properties of additively manufactured SS316L under the influence of industrial viscous lubricants. The results are observed using Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and wear tests.FindingsThe observations indicate that additively manufactured SS316L shows a reduced coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR). This is credited to the utilization of different viscous lubricants.Originality/valueThis exclusive research demonstrates how various viscous lubricants affect the COF and SWR of printed and post-heat-treated SS316L parts. Lambda (λ), lubricant film thickness (h0), surface roughness and wear mechanisms are studied and reported.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-04-2024-0110/

Anomalous temperature-dependent strength of copper alloy manufactured by laser-beam powder bed fusion

This study reports an anomalous temperature-dependent tensile behavior of laser-beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) processed Cu–Cr–Zr alloy. The yield strength of the alloy initially decreases as the temperature increases to 200±5 MPa and then increases to 350±11 MPa at 500°C before reducing to 234±6 MPa at 600°C. The microstructure consists of elongated Cu grains with a high concentration of Cr solute (∼1 mass%), resulting from rapid solidification during the PBF-LB process. Transmission electron microscopy for the specimens deformed at 500°C revealed the presence of numerous nanoscale Cr-rich particles embedded inside the supersaturated solid solution of the Cu matrix. Nanoscale particles can act as barriers to dislocation motion, leading to an increase in internal stress during plastic deformation at elevated temperatures. This work provides the high potential of post heat treatments for achieving superior mechanical performance using high solute supersaturation formed by the PBF-LB process.

WITHDRAWN: Study on relationships between α morphology and properties of TC11 alloy laser melting deposition parts after post heat treatment

WITHDRAWN: Study on relationships between α morphology and properties of TC11 alloy laser melting deposition parts after post heat treatment

High-temperature oxidation behavior of a novel γ′-strengthened superalloy manufactured by laser-beam powder bed fusion: Effect of post-heat treatment

This study systematically researched the high-temperature oxidation behavior of a γ′-strengthened alloy based on Haynes 230 prepared by laser-beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB). The results indicate that the experimental alloy showed a higher oxidation resistance than Haynes 230 at 1000 °C. The oxidation products mainly consisted of the outmost MnCr2O4-TiO2 layer, intermediate Cr2O3 layer and inner TiO2 layer. Branched Al2O3 oxides were formed in the interior oxidation zone. Post-heat treatment can increase oxidation resistance by reducing the oxidation rates from 0.0152 mg2cm−4h−1 to 0.0126 mg2cm−4h−1. The decrease in dislocation density and the precipitation of ordered γ' phases can slow down the short-circuit diffusion and lattice diffusion rate of oxygen, and are the main reasons for this improvement. Furthermore, the γ' phase precipitation and dislocation density reduction can provide more sites for Cr2O3 nucleation and reduce the Cr supply required for grain growth. As a result, the Cr2O3 grains on the heat-treated sample surface were smaller.

Relationship between Texture, Hydrogen Content, Residual Stress and Corrosion Resistance of Electrodeposited Chromium Coating: Influence of Heat Treatment.

Electrodeposited chromium plating continues to be widely used in a number of specialized areas, such as weapons, transport, aerospace, etc. However, the formation of texture, hydrogen content and residual stress can degrade the serviceability and lead to material failure. The effect of post heat treatment processes on the relationship of texture, hydrogen content, residual stress and corrosion resistance of hexavalent [Cr(VI)] chromium coatings deposited on Cr-Ni-Mo-V steel substrates was investigated. Macrotexture was measured by XRD. Microtexture, dislocation density and grain size were studied by EBSD. With the increase of the heat treatment temperature, it was found that the fiber texture strength of the (222) plane tended to increase and subsequently decrease. Below 600 °C, the increase in the (222) plane texture carried a decrease in the hydrogen content, residual stress, microhardness and an increase in the corrosion resistance. In addition, crack density and texture strength were less affected by the heat treatment time. Notably, relatively fewer crack densities of 219/cm2, a lower corrosion current density of 1.798 × 10-6 A/dm2 and a higher microhardness of 865 HV were found under the preferred heat treatment temperature and time of 380 °C and 4 h, respectively. The hydrogen content and residual stress were 7.63 ppm and 61 MPa, with 86% and 75% reduction rates compared to the as-plated state, respectively. In conclusion, in our future judgement of the influence of heat treatment on coating properties, we can screen or determine to a certain extent whether the heat treatment process is reasonable or not by measuring only the macrotexture.

Effects of post heat treatment on key T-phase evolution and the matching mechanism of enhanced strength-toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance in Al-Mg-Zn-(Cu-Er-Zr) alloy by laser powder bed fusion

Al-Mg-Zn-(Cu-Er-Zr) system alloy is a novel alloy designed by materials genetic method for laser additive manufacturing of lightweight brake discs and the T-phase (T-AlMgZnCuZrEr) in this alloy is the most important microstructure for enhancing performance matching of the alloy. Scientifically regulating the T-phase evolution through innovative preparation processes to improve the matching of strength-toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance in this novel alloy is the fundamental work for preparing high-performance lightweight high-speed train brake disc parts using laser additive manufacturing. In this work, laser powder bed fusion and post heat treatments were employed to prepare Al-Mg-Zn-(Cu-Er-Zr) alloy samples with the superior matching of strength-toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and the key T-phase evolution and performance enhancement mechanisms of the samples were studied. The results indicate that post heat treatments significantly influenced the quantity, size, and structure of the T-phase in the cladded sample, which significantly enhanced the strength-toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance matching of the alloy. It is found that under the optimized aging treatment at 200 °C/6 h, due to the evolution of T-phase area fraction and cell-like structure inside the T-phase, the strength-toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance were improved by 30 %, 28 %, 1.4 %, respectively. The precipitation and concave dissolution mechanisms of the T-phase during post heat treatment have been finely revealed, and a three-performance matching relationship model has been successfully constructed based on the strength-toughness matching equation. A new laser powder bed fusion followed by the aging process to manufacture an Al-Mg-Zn-(Cu-Er-Zr) alloy sample with the superior matching of strength-toughness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance has been obtained, which provides a valuable reference for laser additive manufacturing high-performance lightweight aluminum alloy brake disc parts.

Repairing weld for directly solidified Ni-based superalloy substrates using directed energy deposition of Inconel 625

Although the maintenance, repair, and operation of gas turbine systems are important issues in enhancing the operation of power units, advanced welding repair processes have limitations in depositing directionally solidified Ni-based superalloy components. To overcome this problem, in this study, a directed energy deposition method was applied to repair directionally solidified components using an Inconel 625 alloy. The rapid cooling rate and small laser beam diameter during directed energy deposition minimized the heat-affected zone and duration in the mushy zone, resulting in crack inhibition at the interface. The first laser scan partially melted the substrate and formed a mixing zone with a chemical composition gradient. By combining the chemical compositional gradient and dislocation accumulation due to repetitive solidification, that is, with the melting cycles of directed energy deposition, the thermal stability decreased, resulting in recrystallization and grain growth in the mixing zone. Consequently, the crack-free continuous interface of the partially repaired components did not induce tensile fracture near the interface. Although the mechanical properties of the IN625 deposit layer were degraded by severe heat treatment of the substrate, the results demonstrated that energy deposition with post-heat treatment is an effective approach in repairing Ni-based superalloy components without cracks and inclusion initiation.

Selective laser melting of Ti modified age-hardenable Al–Cu alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties evolution along the building direction

In this work, the differences in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Ti modified Al–Cu alloy along the selective laser melting (SLM) build direction are investigated. The results showed the mechanical properties decrease gradually from bottom to top along the building direction, the hardness decreases from 121HV at the bottom to 108HV at the top, the tensile strength also decreases from 375.8 MPa to 359.2 MPa, while the ductility is not improved. Transmission electron microscopy observation confirms that numerous θ′ phase is formed in the bottom, while rarely in the top, indicating that the difference of mechanical properties is caused by the θ′ phase, which is formed during SLM due to the substrate heating. Additionally, the top sample requires longer time to reach peak hardness during post-heat treatment at 200 °C. Therefore, appropriate substrate temperature and post-heat treatment are necessary for age-hardenable alloys to achieve consistent mechanical properties along the building direction.

Microstructural evolution in laser powder bed fusion of water-atomized high-carbon low-alloy steel: Analysis of melting mode effects

Medium/High‑carbon steels are considered susceptible to cracking during rapid cooling in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) applications. Also, water-atomized (WA) steel powders, containing oxides, have been associated with porosity defects during this process. In this study, LPBF was employed to process WA high‑carbon low-alloy steel powders under three operational regimes – conduction, transition, and keyhole modes. Analyses based on the scaling law of keyhole stability, melt pool dimensions, and x-ray computed tomography (XCT) suggested that processing under the transition mode closely resembled a stable keyhole, enabling the successfully printing of water-atomized powders to a density of 99.93 %. Subsequent heat treatment, hardness, and residual stress assessments presented a prominent structural softening and relief of compressive stress under the transition mode. This was attributed to the intense in-situ tempering and re-austenitization that occurred within each layer. Under this condition, with no post heat treatment, an ultimate tensile strength of 1250 MPa with >2.6 % elongation was achieved. Finally, the ball-on-disk test showed that wear performance of the printed steels was primarily governed by the tribo-oxides, with a limited influence from the microstructural variation.

Unraveling the mechanics of directional coarsening in single crystal Ni-based superalloys via laser peening: Insights from experimental characterization and microstructural analysis

Surface treatment techniques, like laser peening, enhance the longevity of Ni-based superalloy components by reinforcing their microstructure against surface-initiated damage. Recent findings suggest that these methods may also influence precipitate coarsening behavior at high temperatures, leading to rafting phenomena. This study extensively examined γ’ rafting in single crystal Ni-based superalloy CMSX-4 post laser peening and heat treatment. X-ray diffraction revealed surface compressive stresses (-400 MPa to -800 MPa), transitioning to tensile stresses at greater depths before returning to an unstressed state. Correlation with electron microscopy indicated horizontal coarsening in compressive regions and vertical coarsening in tensile regions due to misfit and residual stresses aiding diffusion. Plastic strain near the LPed surface was measurably increased with lattice misorientation values around 5° before returning to an unstrained state after heat treatment due to rafting-aided recovery and defect reorganization. Secondary γ’ precipitates with a radius of approximately 10 nm occupied γ channels between rafted precipitates, indicating solute element diffusion and supersaturation. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy showed a significant depletion of γ’-forming elements around rafted primary precipitates, highlighting preferential solute diffusion.

Effect of substrates on the structural, surface chemical state, and optical properties of Ga-doped Al2O3 thin films

We report the stabilization of Ga-doped Al2O3 (GaAlO) thin films into rhombohedral structure (R 3‾ c space group). We used the target material of composition A11.5Ga0.5O3 (bulk) to deposit the films on Alumina (0001) and p-type Si (100) substrates by using the electron beam evaporation technique. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of polycrystalline rhombohedral structure for the as-grown films on Alumina substrate, whereas the films grown on Si substrate showed amorphous structure. The post-heat treatment of as-grown films at 550 °C stabilized rhombohedral structure in all the films, irrespective of the substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectra confirmed modification in surface chemical state of the films depending on nature of the substrates. Optical bandgap of the GaAlO films was stabilized in the range of 3.44 eV–4.04 eV, which is substantially reduced in comparison to corundum structured α-Al2O3 having optical band gap in the range of 8–9 eV and α-Ga2O3 having optical band gap of 4.5–5.5 eV. The defect-induced electronic states and substrate induced interfacial diffusion contributed additional energy gap in the range of 1.50–2.92 eV for GaAlO films grown on Si substrate. The development of highly crystalline corundum structured α-(Al, Ga)2O3 alloyed thin films and engineering their band gap energy in a wide range (1.5–4 eV) is useful for applications of semiconductor metal oxides in high power and medium frequency opto-electronic devices.