We present stratigraphic, magnetic, diffuse reflectance spectrophotometric analyses, and chronologic data for the Chenarli loess–paleosol sequence in northeastern Iran. Eight loess units (LU) are identified, described, and constrained in time based on relative stratigraphy and luminescence dating from >130 ± 9.1 ka to ~9.8 ± 0.7 ka. Our data indicate that pedogenic magnetite/maghemite formation gives rise to magnetic enhancement in modern soil and paleosols. The top of LU 7 is demarcated by the well-developed last interglacial soil in which magnetic depletion occurred. We infer that magnetic depletion in this paleosol was produced by reducing conditions in a seasonally waterlogged soil during a warm and wet phase within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e. Units LU 6 to 1 record several episodes of dust accumulation and soil formation during the last glacial and Holocene. Increased dust accumulation rates occurred during middle-late MIS 3 and lasted into the late MIS 2, with a peak during the last glacial maximum (LU 2). These findings could be applicable to understanding magnetic enhancement/dissolution mechanism in the loess–paleosol sequences in study area. We infer paleoenvironmental changes in northeastern Iran relative to northern Iran, Eurasia, and China.

FeCoNi(Mn–Si)x (x = 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) high-entropy alloys (HEAs) were successfully synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA), and the effect of Mn and Si in the ferromagnetic alloys on crystal structure and magnetic behavior was thoroughly investigated. XRD, SEM, and TEM were used to investigate the effect of Mn and Si content on the structure of HEAs. The high Mn and Si contents change the structure from the BCC phase to FCC phase. The evolution of surface morphology was discussed on the basis of MA time and content of Mn and Si. The magnetic hysteresis curve confirmed the highest magnetic saturation (Ms) value of 134.21 emu/g for FeCoNi(Mn–Si)1.0 alloy and an appreciably low coercivity (Hc) of 98.07 Oe for FeCoNi(Mn–Si)0.5 alloy. The finite element method (FEM), using COMSOL Multiphysics software, has been used for determining the magnetic flux density (B) on the surface and at the center of the transformer core to determine the performance of the proposed HEAs.

Duplex stainless steels (DSS) may be defined as a category of steels with a two-phase ferritic–austenitic microstructure, which combines good mechanical and corrosion properties. However, these steels can undergo significant microstructural modification as a consequence of either thermo-mechanical treatments (ferrite decomposition, which causes σ- and χ-phase formation and nitride precipitation) or plastic deformation at room temperature [austenite transformation into strain-induced martensite (SIM)]. These secondary phases noticeably affect the properties of DSS, and therefore are of huge industrial interest. In the present work, SIM formation was investigated in a 2101 lean DSS. The material was subjected to cold rolling at various degrees of deformation (from 10 to 80% thickness reduction) and the microstructure developed after plastic deformation was investigated by electron backscattered diffraction, X-ray diffraction measurements, and hardness and magnetic tests. It was observed that SIM formed as a consequence of deformations higher than ~20% and residual austenite was still observed at 80% of thickness reduction. Furthermore, a direct relationship was found between microstructure and magnetic properties.