A new study by SEGi University researchers Walisijiang Tayier and Shamini Janasekaran, published in Key Engineering Materials (Vol. 982), explores an advanced method of joining stainless steel SS304 using Microwave Hybrid Heating (MHH) — a promising alternative to conventional dental soldering and welding methods.
Conventional joining techniques often involve toxic fluxes and high temperatures, which pose potential health risks in oral applications. This study introduces MHH as a safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly method that eliminates toxic emissions while enhancing material properties.
The researchers investigated the joining of SS304 (15mm × 7.9mm × 0.2mm) with high-purity zinc powder (44 µm, 99%) under cold (0°C–10°C) and heat (30°C–60°C) conditions. The results showed a direct correlation between treatment temperature and microhardness, with optimal hardness recorded at 208.6 HV at 60°C after a 3-minute treatment.
Microstructural analysis revealed that cold treatments slightly deformed the grain structure, whereas heat processing significantly improved grain density and bonding strength at the interface. Notably, fuzzy logic modelling used to predict experimental outcomes yielded highly accurate results, with prediction errors below 10%.
This research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly:
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, by contributing to safer dental materials that reduce patient exposure to toxic emissions;
SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through the development of advanced manufacturing processes for biomedical applications; and
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, by promoting cleaner, non-toxic, and energy-efficient production techniques in the dental industry.
The authors emphasise that this hybrid technique not only enhances performance but also paves the way for greener, high-precision dental technologies. These findings highlight SEGi University’s commitment to sustainable research and innovation in applied materials science.
📌 Article title: “Microstructural Analysis and Microhardness Evaluation of Stainless Steel SS304 Joints Utilizing Microwave Hybrid Heating (MHH) and Cold/Heat Processing: A Fuzzy Logic Approach”
📖 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-2Ue7mc