J. Wang, Z. Dai*, J. Sun*, H. Chen, G. liu, S. van der Zwaag, J. Sun, A concise energy barrier model for predicting Widmanst¨atten start temperature and transformation stasis in steels, Scripta Materialia 280 (2026) 117352.

Z. Dai, Z. Wang, J. Sun, L. Wang, X. Sun, F. Lu, G. Liu, J. Sun, Physics‑Coupled Machine Learning for Predicting Dislocation Density in Bainitic Steels, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 57A (2026) 5148-5154.

Z. Dai*, H. Chen, J. Sun, S. van der Zwaag, J. Sun*, Carbon solute drag effect on the growth of carbon supersaturated bainitic ferrite: Modeling and experimental validations, Acta Materialia 268 (2024) 119791.

Z. Dai, H. Chen*, R. Ding, Q. Lu, C. Zhang, Z. Yang, S. van der Zwaag, Fundamentals and application of solid-state phase transformations for advanced high strength steels containing metastable retained austenite, Materials Science & Engineering R, 143 (2021) 100590.

Z. Dai, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, H. Chen*, Incomplete carbon partitioning during quenching and partitioning of Fe–C–Mn–Si steels: Modeling and experimental validations, Acta Materialia 200 (2020) 597-607. 

Z. Dai, R. Ding, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, H. Chen*, Thermo-kinetic design of retained austenite in advanced high strength steels, Acta Materialia 152 (2018) 288-299.

Z. Dai, R. Ding, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, H. Chen*, Elucidating the effect of Mn partitioning on interface migration and carbon partitioning during Quenching and Partitioning of the Fe-C-Mn-Si steels: Modeling and experiments, Acta Materialia 144 (2018) 666-678.

J. J. Zhang#, Z. Dai# (equal contribution), L. Zeng, X. Zuo, J. Wan, Y. Rong, H. Chen*, J. Lu*, N, Chen*, Revealing carbide precipitation effects and their mechanisms during quenching-partitioning-tempering of a high carbon steel: Experiments and Modeling, Acta Materialia, 217 (2021) 117176.

R. Ding, Z. Dai, M. Huang, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, H. Chen*, Effect of pre-existed austenite on austenite reversion and mechanical behavior of an Fe-0.2C-8Mn-2Al medium Mn steel, Acta Materialia 147 (2018) 59-69.

Z. Dai, X. Wang, J. He, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, H. Chen*, Effect of Interfacial Mn Partitioning on Carbon Partitioning and Interface Migration During the Quenching and Partitioning Process, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 48(7) (2017) 3168-3174.

G. Liu, Z. Dai, Z. Yang, C. Zhang, J. Li, H. Chen*, Kinetic transitions and Mn partitioning during austenite growth from a mixture of partitioned cementite and ferrite: role of heating rate, Journal of Materials Science and Technology, 49 (2020) 70-80.

L. Fan, Z. Dai, C. Zhang, Z. Yang, H. Chen*, Phase-field modelling for austenite decomposition and formation in steels: an overview, In book: Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering.

R. Ding, Y. Yao, B. Sun, G. Liu, J. He, T. Li, X. Wan, Z. Dai, D. Ponge, D. Raabe, C. Zhang, A. Godfrey, G. Miyamoto, T. Furuhara, Z. Yang, S. Zwaag, H. Chen*, Chemical boundary engineering: a new route towards lean, ultrastrong yet ductile steels. Science Advances, 2020, eaay 1430.

L. Wang, C. Dong*, J. Yao, Z. Dai, C. Man, Y. Yin, K. Xiao, G. Li, The effect of ɳ-Ni3Ti precipitates and reversed austenite on the passive film stability of nickel-rich Custom 465 steel. Corrosion Science 154 (2019)178-190.

L. Wang, C. Dong*, Q. Yu, C. Man, Y. Hu, Z. Dai, X. Li, The Correlation Between the Distribution/Size of Carbides and Electrochemical Behavior of 17Cr-1Ni Ferritic-Martensitic Stainless Steel. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 50(1) (2019), 388-400.