At the invitation of the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR, CAS), Prof. Hongbiao Dong, the Lee Hsun Lecture Award recipient, visited IMR from August 26 to 28.

During his visit, Prof. Dong delivered a lecture titled "Design and control of solidification microstructure for directionally solidified superalloys" to IMR researchers and graduate students.

In his presentation, Prof. Dong elaborated on a shapelimited primary spacing (SLPS) model based on supervised machine learning, which enables rapid and quantitative image-based analysis of local primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) and dendrite arrangement orderliness during directional solidification. Using the example of solidification dendrite simulation in nickel-based superalloys, he demonstrated that this approach can provide a theoretical basis for process design strategies for high-quality turbine blades. By promoting the formation of hexagonally ordered, closely packed dendrite arrays, the method can refine the microstructure, alleviate micro-segregation, reduce susceptibility to defect grains, and shorten heat-treatment cycles. The lecture, both indepth and practically oriented, sparked lively discussion among attendees.

Prof. Hongbiao Dong is a Professor of Materials Engineering at the University of Birmingham, where he also holds the 125th Anniversary Chair. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the Chinese Association of Prof.s in the UK. He is an internationally recognized expert in metals and manufacturing, renowned for his modelling work and its applications. His research aims to introduce knowledge-based decision support for the production of critical components in strategic sectors, such as aeroengine parts and deepsea oil and gas transmission systems. He has served as Chair of the STFC-ISIS Engineering User Committee and as a member of the Steering Committee of the European Materials Modelling Council. He has received the "World Class Metrology for Manufacturing" Award and held a Royal Society Industry Fellowship at the RollsRoyce Precision Casting Facility.