Microstructure and Properties of Steel Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Steel remains the backbone of modern industry, essential for the construction, transportation, and energy sectors. Its unparalleled versatility stems from the profound relationship among its processing, resulting microstructure, and final properties. Understanding and controlling microstructural features—from phase fractions and grain size to precipitate distribution and dislocation density—are key to tailoring performance.

The ongoing pursuit of enhanced mechanical properties, such as strength, ductility, and toughness, is now coupled with increasingly critical demands for durability and sustainability. Resistance to degradation phenomena like corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement is paramount for safety and longevity in harsh environments. Furthermore, the advent of novel material-processing routes, particularly additive manufacturing, is revolutionizing steel production. These innovative techniques introduce unique thermal cycles and non-equilibrium microstructures, presenting both new challenges and opportunities for property optimization that demand thorough scientific investigation.

This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality research and review articles that address these interconnected themes. We welcome contributions that investigate the interplay among processing, microstructure, and properties in steels, utilizing experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Phase transformations: thermodynamics, kinetics, and crystallography.
• Relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties.
• Degradation mechanisms, including corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement.
• Microstructure and property engineering through conventional and advanced material processing.
• Effects of additive manufacturing on the microstructure and performance of steel components.

By providing a platform for the presentation of the latest advancements, this Special Issue will foster discussion and inspire future innovations in science and technology surrounding this indispensable material.

Dr. Shilong Liu
Dr. Yishuang Yu
Dr. Qizhe Ye
Dr. Yangxin Wang
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.