Professor Alex Volinsky

Professor Alex Volinsky is an academic podcast where each episode covers one of the host's research publications in materials science.

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27 episodes
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English

Episodes 27

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Today · 6 min
The Tennis Ball That Changed My Life
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! When Professor Alex Volinsky was 12, a physics grad student at Moscow State University dropped a tennis ball frozen in liquid nitrogen — and it shattered like glass. That single moment of curiosity set him on the path to becoming a materials scientist. In this episode, narrated in his own voice, he tells the story of the butterfly effect of STEM education. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Today · 9 min
One Patient, One Case Report (Ep. 62A) [NEW EDITION]
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! NEW EDITION - Episode 62A is a complete rebuild, now based on the full paper. We unpack "One Patient, One Case Report", published in Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine (2023). Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Today · 8 min
Hot Deformation Behavior of Al2O3-Cu/35Cr3TiB2 Composites with Y2O3 (Ep. 31A) [NEW EDITION]
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! NEW EDITION - Episode 31A is a complete rebuild, now based on the full paper. We unpack "Effects of Y2O3 on the Hot Deformation Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of Al2O3-Cu/35Cr3TiB2 Electrical Contact Composites", published in Materials Characterization (2024). Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Today · 8 min
Effects of Trace La on the Aging Properties of the Cu-Ti-Zr Alloys (Ep. 29A) [NEW EDITION]
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! NEW EDITION - Episode 29A is a complete rebuild, now based on the full paper. We unpack "Effects of Trace La on the Aging Properties of the Cu-Ti-Zr Alloys", published in Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance (2025). Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Today · 8 min
Fracture Toughness of Micron-Thick Hard Coatings Based on Crack Spacing (Ep. 28A) [NEW EDITION]
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! NEW EDITION - Episode 28A is a complete rebuild, now based on the full paper. We unpack "An Efficient and Quantitative Approach for Fracture Toughness Measurement of Micron-Thick Hard Coatings Based on Crack Spacing", published in Engineering Fracture Mechanics (2024). Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Today · 10 min
Experimental and Computational Study of the NiTi Thin Wires Mechanical Behavior (Ep. 27A) [NEW EDITION]
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! NEW EDITION - Episode 27A is a complete rebuild of our twenty-seventh episode, now based on the full paper rather than just the title and abstract. In this episode we unpack "Experimental and Computational Study of the NiTi Thin Wires Mechanical Behavior", published in Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures (2024). Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated.
Friday · 12 min
Steelman Sessions Pilot: Digital Precision in Metrology
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Pilot episode of Steelman Sessions, a new debate format from the Professor Alex Volinsky podcast. Elena steel-mans the paper 'Digital Precision in Metrology: Significant Figures and Trailing Zeros as Machine Readable Metadata' (Metrologia, 2026) — the three-layer taxonomy of digital precision loss: storage, computation, display. Marcus cross-examines like the toughest reviewer #2, then a lightning round and a verdict: accept. Paper DOI: 10.1088/1681-7575/aea165 Voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#575
Thursday · 6 min
Laser-Hammered Steel
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Microstructure Evolution and Microhardness of Ultrafine-grained High Carbon Steel During Multiple Laser Shock Processing", published as a Journal of Iron and Steel Research International 2015 paper. Laser shock processing (LSP): nanosecond laser pulses vaporize an absorber, confined plasma expansion drives shock waves into the surface at 10⁶–10⁷ s⁻¹ strain rates, raising hardness and fatigue strength via dislocations and compressive residual stress. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1016/s1006-706x(15)60009-7. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#574
Thursday · 6 min
Budget Titanium
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "High-Carbon Ferrochrome Effects on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Powder Metallurgy Titanium Alloys", published as a Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2019 paper. Motivation: titanium is expensive (reactive melt needs special equipment; poor machinability, ~10% material utilization); powder metallurgy (ball mill 2 h, cold press 700 MPa, sinter 1573 K 1 h in vacuum) avoids melting entirely and is near-net-shape. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1007/s11665-019-04282-x. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#573
Thursday · 6 min
Stirring Aluminum That Hates Welding
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded Powder Metallurgy AA2024 Alloy", published as a Journal of Central South University 2022 paper. Powder metallurgy AA2024 (Cu 4.74, Mg 1.73 wt%) made by powder mixing, cold isostatic pressing, sintering, hot extrusion (5:1 at 405°C), then T4 heat treatment; friction stir welding is the solid-state joining route because fusion welding agglomerates Al2O3 nanoparticles and degrades strength. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1007/s11771-022-4962-4. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#572
Thursday · 8 min
Sewer Gas Without Borders
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Global case studies of improper plumbing and ventilation: health risks and regulatory gaps in Asia, Europe, and the United States", published as an International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology 2024 paper. China: pervasive sewer gas leakage despite national codes (GB 50015-2019); missing water traps and unsealed connections; Zhengzhou hotel's plastic water bag as makeshift trap; enforcement gap is the core issue. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#571
Thursday · 8 min
Smart Polymer Sandwiches for Cells
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "'Smart' Polymer Sandwiches From Hydrogel Nanocoatings Attached to Stimuli-Responsive Grafted Brushes", published as a Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B 2025 paper. Temperature-responsive POEGMA-co-HEMA grafted brushes grown on glass; <10% HEMA adds hydroxyl handles without killing the LCST response. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.35631. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#570
Thursday · 7 min
Tungsten Makes Implants Visible
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Composition, Mechanical Properties, Shape Memory Effects, and Biocompatibility of NiTiW Alloy", published as a Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2025 paper. NiTi stents/implants are hard to see on X-ray; Au/Pt/Ta markers can flake off and are expensive; W offers excellent radiopacity and MRI visibility but destroys red blood cells above 11 at.%. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1007/s11665-025-11481-2. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#569
Thursday · 6 min
Magnesium Implants vs. Infection
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "A Review of Magnesium Alloys In Vivo Antibacterial Properties: Challenges, Solutions, and Future Perspectives", published as a Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B 2025 paper. Mg implants are biodegradable, biocompatible, support bone formation, and need no removal surgery; intrinsic antibacterial action comes from alkaline pH rise during degradation. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.35602. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#568
Thursday · 6 min
Titanium Opens the Hot Window
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "The influence of Ti on the hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Cu-Ni-Co-Si alloy", published as a Journal of Alloys and Compounds 2025 paper. Cu-1.0Ni-1.0Co-0.5Si with 0.1Ti vs. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.185133. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#567
Thursday · 7 min
Chromium Strengthens Hot Copper
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Effect of Cr addition on the hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Cu-0.8Fe-0.2Mg alloy", published as a Journal of Materials Research and Technology 2025 paper. Hot compression tests on Cu-0.8Fe-0.2Mg vs. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2025.04.309. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#566
Thursday · 7 min
Dialing in the perfect hard coating
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Varying Ti concentration effects on TiBx coatings deposited via dual HiPIMS of TiB2 and Ti targets", published as a Surfaces and Interfaces 2026 paper. Dual HiPIMS with separate Ti and TiB2 targets (TiB2 fixed at 500 W, Ti varied 50–250 W) tunes the B:Ti atomic ratio from 2.4 down to 0.68, giving precise stoichiometry control that conventional sputtering struggles with. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2026.109301. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#565
Thursday · 7 min
A laser that sniffs out lung leaks
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Laser Photoacoustic Detection of Pulmonary and Tracheobronchial Suture Leaks", published as a Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 2026 paper. Prolonged postoperative air leak affects 8–20% of lung resections, raising costs 25–40%; the standard water submersion test is subjective, misses micro-leaks, and performs poorly in video-assisted surgery. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1002/lsm.70202. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#564
Thursday · 6 min
Rebuilding the windpipe from the outside
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Reinforcement of skin flap tracheal reconstruction with porous titanium nickelide implants: A novel approach to persistent tracheal defect closure", published as a JTCVS Techniques 2026 paper. Retrospective case series (June 2013–December 2020, Siberian State Medical University): 60 patients with persistent tracheal defects; 17 received external porous NiTi implant reinforcement, 43 conventional skin flap closure. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2026.102388. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.
#563
Thursday · 7 min
Plastic wrap that changes color under pressure
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this episode, Elena and Marcus unpack "Thermally induced compressive stress and optical response in heat shrinkable polymer films", published as a Journal of Polymer Research 2026 paper. Heat-shrinkable PVC film in isometric thermal cycling develops compressive stress of 0.8–3.5 MPa, stabilizing at 2.5 ± 0.3 MPa after cooling; values are an upper bound for real cable-joint sleeve geometry. Part of a series covering all 575 of Prof. Volinsky's publications, one episode at a time. Paper DOI: 10.1007/s10965-026-05038-7. Note: voices in this episode are AI-generated: Elena and Marcus.

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