Advances in Metal Combustion

Dear Colleagues,

Metal combustion is emerging as a critical research area at the intersection of combustion science, materials engineering, and sustainable energy technologies. As global demand grows for carbon-neutral energy systems and high-performance energetic materials, metal fuels such as iron, aluminum, magnesium, boron, and their alloys are attracting renewed interest. These fuels offer high energy densities, storability, and/or recyclability, making them attractive for propulsion systems, pyrotechnics, and especially for next-generation energy carriers in circular economy frameworks.

Despite decades of research, many fundamental aspects of metal combustion remain poorly understood. Recent advances in diagnostics, noval experimentation, and modeling are shedding new light on ignition kinetics, flame propagation, and particle-scale phenomena in metal combustion. Understanding these complex processes is essential for enabling the safe and efficient utilization of metal-based energy systems across diverse applications—from aerospace propulsion to clean energy storage and delivery.

This Special Issue aims to gather recent advances and emerging insights into the combustion of metals and metal-based fuels. It welcomes contributions that push the frontiers of our understanding of ignition, combustion dynamics, and flame propagation of metal particles, as well as system-level investigations that explore real-world applications.

The scope aligns with the journal’s mission to publish high-impact research in the fields of combustion science, reaction kinetics, thermal systems, and energy conversion. Both experimental and theoretical studies are encouraged, particularly those that contribute to a fundamental understanding of metal combustion or propose innovative technologies for their application in energy and propulsion systems.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications on topics including but not limited to the following:

• Ignition and burning dynamics of metal and alloy particles;
• Condensed-phase and vapor-phase combustion kinetics of metals;
• Optical diagnostics and experimental techniques for metal combustion;
• Modeling and simulation of metal particle ignition and combustion;
• Flame propagation and explosion of dispersed metal particle clouds;
• Novel concepts of metal combustion;
• Applications in propulsion, pyrotechnics, and metal-based energy carriers;
• Recycling and regeneration of metal fuels in energy cycles.

This Special Issue provides an opportunity for researchers to present state-of-the-art findings and to shape future directions in the dynamic field of metal combustion. We encourage submissions from interdisciplinary teams that bridge combustion science, materials engineering, and sustainable energy research.

Dr. Daoguan Ning
Guest Editor

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. Fire 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 2400 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.

• metal combustion
• dust flame
• metal fuel cycle
• regeneration of metals
• energetic materials