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Atomistic Insights into Grain Boundaries and Dislocations in Metals and Alloys

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 42

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department Mechanics of Solids, Surfaces and Systems (MS3), Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Interests: material defect physics; dislocation dynamics; multiscale modelling; crystal plasticity

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials, Design and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZX, UK
Interests: experimental characterization of metals and alloys

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
Interests: additive manufacturing; computational modelling of metals and alloys; microstructural mechanics

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Guest Editor Assistant
Tianjin Key Laboratory for Advanced Mechatronic System Design and Intelligent Control, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China
Interests: crystal plasticity; lightweight alloys; dislocation dynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dislocations and grain boundaries are two of the most critical microstructural defects in crystalline metals and alloys. Their interactions, dynamics, and evolution significantly influence a wide range of mechanical properties, including strength, ductility, creep resistance, and fracture behavior, as well as their functional properties. A deep understanding of these defects, both individually and synergistically, is essential for advancing the development and performance of metallic materials, especially under extreme service conditions.

This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances in the understanding, characterization, modeling, and engineering of dislocations and grain boundaries in both conventional and advanced metallic systems. We welcome original research articles and reviews that explore experimental, theoretical, and computational investigations across multiple lengths and time scales. Submissions addressing both fundamental mechanisms and application-driven engineering are highly encouraged.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Dislocation dynamics and mechanisms of plastic deformation;
  • Grain boundary structure, mobility, and transformations;
  • tomistic insight into dislocation–grain boundary interactions;
  • Multiscale modeling and simulation (DFT, MD, DD, CP, etc.);
  • In situ and advanced characterization techniques;
  • Defect engineering for improved mechanical performance;
  • The role of defects in fatigue, creep, and fracture processes;
  • Microstructure–property relationships in conventional and advanced alloys.

We encourage submissions from researchers working across disciplines to foster interdisciplinary insights and spark innovation in defect physics and materials engineering.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fengxian Liu
Dr. Zhida Liang
Prof. Dr. Xufei Lu
Guest Editors

Dr. Xiangru Guo
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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.

Keywords

  • dislocations
  • grain boundaries
  • dislocation–grain boundary interactions
  • plastic deformation
  • defect engineering
  • crystalline materials
  • multiscale modelling
  • advanced characterization

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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