State of the Art of Crystalline Metals and Alloys

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Crystalline Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 946

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Metalurgia e Integridad Estructural, Centro de investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Chihuahua, Mexico
Interests: Al-based alloys; structure-mechanical properties relationship; powder metallurgy and casting; high entropy alloys
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Metalurgia e Integridad Estructural, Centro de investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Chihuahua, Mexico
Interests: structure-properties relationship; energy storage; high-energy ball-milling; high entropy alloys; hydrogen technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The crystalline structure of alloys refers to the atomic arrangement and packing of metallic elements within solid solutions or intermetallic compounds. The crystal structure of an alloy—whether ordered, disordered, or multiphase—directly influences its mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and corrosion-resistant properties. Understanding the three-dimensional atomic arrangement, defects, and phase distributions in alloys is crucial for tailoring materials with optimized performance for industrial applications.

This Special Issue highlights advances in the study of crystalline and polycrystalline alloys, including their synthesis, phase transformations, microstructure characterization, and structure–property relationships. Contributions may cover topics such as alloy design, solidification mechanisms, advanced characterization techniques (e.g., XRD, TEM, atom probe tomography), computational modeling, and applications in aerospace, automotive, energy, and biomedical engineering. By exploring the interplay between atomic-scale ordering and macroscopic properties, this edition aims to foster innovation in the development of high-performance alloys for emerging technologies.

Dr. Roberto Martínez-Sánchez
Dr. Alfredo Martinez-Garcia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • metals
  • alloys
  • solidification
  • grains
  • textures
  • dislocations
  • phase transformations
  • twinning
  • precipitation
  • martensite
  • X-ray diffraction
  • electron microscopy
  • casting
  • rolling
  • welding
  • additive manufacturing
  • mechanical properties

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 14164 KB  
Article
Experimental Characterization and Finite Element Simulation of the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in 0.2% Sc-Modified A242 Aluminum Alloy
by Mahmoud A. Alzahrani, Obaidullah Alfahmi, Essam B. Moustafa and Ahmed O. Mosleh
Crystals 2026, 16(6), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16060388 - 12 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Scandium (Sc) is well recognized as a potent grain refiner, yet optimizing its addition amount in the Al-Cu-Mg-Ni-Fe (A242) system remains a longstanding challenge, critically important for material performance in high-temperature automotive and aerospace applications. The present work, therefore, presents a study of [...] Read more.
Scandium (Sc) is well recognized as a potent grain refiner, yet optimizing its addition amount in the Al-Cu-Mg-Ni-Fe (A242) system remains a longstanding challenge, critically important for material performance in high-temperature automotive and aerospace applications. The present work, therefore, presents a study of low-Sc modified A242 alloys, demonstrating that 0.2 wt.% Sc microalloying of the system has a pronounced effect on its solidification-driven microstructural evolution, improving the high-temperature formability of the alloy over a 20–200 °C temperature range. The study demonstrates that this addition triggers a dramatic columnar-to-equiaxed grain transition, reducing the average grain size by 90.8% (from 400 ± 100 μm to 37 ± 10 μm) and fragmenting the brittle, continuous intermetallic network into a highly uniform architecture. Uniaxial compression testing revealed that, while the as-cast solid-solution alloy slightly reduces room-temperature strength due to solute trapping, it delivers an exceptional 142% increase in strain-to-failure at 200 °C (exceeding 0.8 mm) compared to the base alloy. This significant enhancement in ductility is driven by thermally stable Al3Sc dispersoids that exert Zener pinning pressure, halting thermal grain coarsening and activating superplastic deformation mechanisms. These findings support the development of advanced thermoforming applications, with the finite element (FE) model predicting process improvements that enhance manufacturing efficiency. This work presents a validation and simulation-ready material framework that substantiates the viability of low-Sc-modified A242 alloys for such operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State of the Art of Crystalline Metals and Alloys)
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18 pages, 28233 KB  
Article
Multifunctional Performance for Single and Hybrid AA5083 Nanocomposites: Improving Wear Resistance, Strength, and Dynamic Behavior
by Obaidullah Alfahmi, Mahmoud A. Alzahrani, Mohamed A. Afifi, Ahmed O. Mosleh and Essam B. Moustafa
Crystals 2026, 16(5), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16050313 - 7 May 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 352
Abstract
Aluminum alloy (AA5083) is widely used in the aerospace and marine industries. However, its use is sometimes limited by its low surface hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability. The microstructural, mechanical, tribological, and dynamic behavior of AA5083 matrix composites incorporated with mono-reinforcements (hexagonal [...] Read more.
Aluminum alloy (AA5083) is widely used in the aerospace and marine industries. However, its use is sometimes limited by its low surface hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability. The microstructural, mechanical, tribological, and dynamic behavior of AA5083 matrix composites incorporated with mono-reinforcements (hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), graphene (G), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) and hybrid reinforcements (hBN+CNTs, G+hBN, and CNTs+G) by friction stir processing (FSP) is thoroughly investigated. Microstructural examination demonstrated that extensive dynamic recrystallization was induced by FSP, reducing the base-metal grains (about 215 μm) to very small sizes. The hybrid hBN+CNT composite had the smallest grain size (about 4.5 μm), the mono-CNT composite had the highest microhardness (~60 HV), whereas the hybrid CNTs+G composite had the highest ultimate compressive strength (~350 MPa). This enhancement was attributed to the formation of a 3D network within the hybrid composite, which hindered graphene agglomeration and restacking. Tribological tests revealed that hybridization greatly reduced wear; in particular, hBN-containing hybrids (hBN+CNTs and hBN+G) had the lowest wear rates (~0.037 mg/bar.min), owing to hBN’s solid-lubrication effect. Moreover, dynamic mechanical analysis and free-vibration testing showed the tunability of vibrational characteristics; the mono-CNT composite had the greatest structural stiffness (storage modulus ~72.75 GPa), whereas the G+CNTs hybrid had the best damping ratio (damping ratio ~4.82%). These results demonstrate that hybrid nanoreinforcements can tailor the multifunctional characteristics of AA5083 composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State of the Art of Crystalline Metals and Alloys)
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