Harmonic structure, a promising microstructure design

The harmonic structure is a recently introduced concept paving the way for engineering metallic materials to achieve excellent mechanical performance. They consist of soft coarse-grained regions (Core) that are three-dimensionally surrounded by a connected network of hard ultra-fine grained regions (Shell). The interaction in these Core–Shell regions produces a synergistic effect, during plastic deformation, leading to superior mechanical properties that are extremely important in practical applications. The current review paper is aimed at providing a critical assessment on this novel concept of microstructure design. It also involves the identification and critical discussion of key issues which deserve additional studies.