Organic chemistry

Damping capacity

3d printed

Absorption (acoustics)

Engineering

Biomedical engineering

Composite material

Nickel titanium

Chemistry

Materials science

Absorption capacity

Alloy

Phase (matter)

Shape-memory alloy

Chemical engineering

Medicine

Science Advances

It is of significance, but still remains a key challenge, to simultaneously enhance the strength and damping capacities in metals, as these two properties are often mutually exclusive. Here, we provide a multidesign strategy for defeating such a conflict by developing a Mg-NiTi composite with a bicontinuous interpenetrating-phase architecture through infiltration of magnesium melt into three-dimensionally printed Nitinol scaffold. The composite exhibits a unique combination of mechanical properties with improved strengths at ambient to elevated temperatures, remarkable damage tolerance, good damping capacities at differing amplitudes, and exceptional energy absorption efficiency, which is unprecedented for magnesium materials. The shape and strength after deformation can even be largely recovered by heat treatment. This study offers a new perspective for the structural and biomedical applications of magnesium.

3D printed Mg-NiTi interpenetrating-phase composites with high strength, damping capacity, and energy absorption efficiency