Advanced Crystallographic Approaches in Steel Research: Microstructure, Properties, and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores recent advances in crystallographic studies of steel materials, focusing on the relationship between their microstructure, properties, and applications. Steel remains a fundamental material within contemporary industrial applications as ongoing scholarly research uncovers novel understandings of its crystalline architecture and the subsequent effects on its mechanical and physical attributes.

This Special Issue highlights innovative characterization techniques, including advanced X-ray diffraction methodologies, electron microscopy approaches, neutron diffraction studies, and in situ crystallographic investigations, illuminating phase transformations and the microstructural evolution in steel. Through these cutting-edge techniques, we invite studies that push the boundaries of what we currently understand about steel's crystallography. We invite scholarly contributions investigating the crystallographic characteristics of diverse steel classifications, encompassing traditional carbon steels, sophisticated high-strength steels, stainless steels, and innovative steel alloys. To address these insights, this Special Issue will delve into a wide range of focused areas, including

• Crystallographic aspects of phase transformations in steel;
• Texture development and its influence on mechanical properties;
• Crystallographic characterization of interfaces and grain boundaries;
• Structure–property relationships in advanced steel grades;
• In situ studies of deformation and recrystallization processes;
• Computational modeling of crystalline structures in steel;
• Novel techniques for crystallographic analysis of steel microstructures;
• Crystallography of precipitation and second-phase particles in steel.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and case studies that contribute to our understanding of steel from crystallographic perspectives. The compilation aspires to unite metallurgists, materials scientists, physicists, and engineers engaged in both academic and industrial contexts to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogs and propel the advancement of steel crystallography.

Dr. Saurabh Tiwari
Dr. Alla S. Sologubenko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.