Prof. Yifei Zhang is a materials scientist specializing in metallurgical physical chemistry, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on non-destructive testing technologies, material surface treatment, modification engineering, and machine vision–assisted evaluation methods. Her research advances the understanding of microstructural evolution, surface behavior, and damage mechanisms in advanced metallic and composite materials, bridging fundamental metallurgical principles with applied diagnostics. She has made notable contributions to the study of oxide-film dynamics in additively manufactured titanium alloys, the microstructural and electrochemical responses of heat-treated metal systems, and the adhesion performance of functional coatings under residual stress conditions. Her work extends into intelligent materials characterization, where she integrates acoustic emission analysis, signal decomposition, and deep-learning frameworks to enhance damage-mode identification in complex composites and metal components. Through innovative combinations of variational mode decomposition, convolutional neural networks, and optimized non-destructive evaluation methods, she has improved the precision and reliability of structural integrity assessments. Her professional experience includes extensive involvement in designing and validating advanced diagnostic techniques, contributing to the development of next-generation material performance evaluation tools. She collaborates across disciplines to connect materials processing, mechanical behavior, and sensing technologies, supporting safer, more efficient applications in engineering structures and manufacturing environments. Her scientific output reflects a commitment to integrating experimental research with computational enhancement, contributing significantly to the fields of material surface engineering, structural health monitoring, and intelligent testing systems.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Zhang, Y., Li, J., Xu, H., & others. (2020). Dynamic evolution of oxide film on selective laser melted Ti-Al-4V alloy. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 849, 156622.

Zhang, Y., Feng, L., Zhang, T., & others. (2021). Heat treatment of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy: Microstructure and electrochemical properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 888, 161602.

Zhou, W., Li, D., Su, Y., & Zhang, Y.* (2024). Experimental study on the static strain aging of Q345 steel using complementary in-situ non-destructive testing techniques. International Journal of Steel Structures, 24(3), 591–606.

Zhang, Y., Yao, Y., Li, J., & others. (2025). Effect of residual stress on adhesion behaviour of TiN coating. Bulletin of Materials Science, 48, 72.

Zhang, Y., Ge, X., Su, Y., & others. (2025). Damage mode identification in 2D triaxial carbon fiber braided composites via acoustic emission segmentation and variational mode decomposition optimization. Polymer Composites, 1–16.