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High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications
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High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 December 2026 | Viewed by 2423

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shiwei Tian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Engineering Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: microstructure evolution; advanced alloy and steel materialsmicrostructure evolution; advanced alloy and steel materials
Dr. Yonggang Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Engineering Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: advanced alloy and steel materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development and performance optimization of high-performance alloys and steel have been a research focus for the past few decades, aiming to manufacture excellent industrial products. Numerous works and efforts have been made to elevate the performance of alloys and steel, including tuning design strategies, processing routes, and their application in the environment. However, the performance of the alloys and steel still does not meet the requirements of application fields, including extremely high/low-temperature conditions. Further improvement to the performance of alloys and steel is essential to elevate the service quality of industrial products. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide a broad platform to share the latest results in the development and performance optimization of high-performance alloys and steel. This includes fundamental questions regarding microstructure–property relationships, phase transformations, strain hardening, and fracture mechanisms. Submissions on topics related to the design, processing, testing, characterization, and applications of high-performance alloys and steel are welcome.

I am honored to serve as Guest Editor of the journal Materials for this Special Issue entitled “High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications”, providing academic exchange opportunities for colleagues from all over the world to support the research and development of high-performance alloys and steel.

Dr. Shiwei Tian
Dr. Yonggang Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • high-performance alloys
  • advanced steel
  • alloy design
  • materials processing
  • mechanical properties

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 9840 KB  
Article
Theoretical Study on the Formation Mechanism of Ti(C,N) Inclusions and Titanium Content Control in High-Grade Non-Oriented Silicon Steel
by Jinwen Liu, Chuanmin Li, Fuqiang Zhou, Ben Zhang, Shanguo Du, Haiyan Tang and Jiaquan Zhang
Materials 2026, 19(9), 1684; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19091684 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026
Abstract
High-grade non-oriented silicon steel is a critical material for new energy vehicles and energy-efficient appliances due to its superior magnetic properties. However, these properties are significantly degraded by non-metallic inclusions, particularly Ti(C,N). This study employs integrated thermodynamic and kinetic calculations to systematically analyze [...] Read more.
High-grade non-oriented silicon steel is a critical material for new energy vehicles and energy-efficient appliances due to its superior magnetic properties. However, these properties are significantly degraded by non-metallic inclusions, particularly Ti(C,N). This study employs integrated thermodynamic and kinetic calculations to systematically analyze the formation and growth mechanisms of Ti(C,N) inclusions in high-grade non-oriented silicon steel, trace the sources of [Ti], and propose targeted theoretical control strategies. Results indicate that Ti(C,N) inclusions do not precipitate above the liquidus temperature (1779 K). During solidification, microsegregation enriches Ti, C, and N; however, only TiN precipitates in the final stage as its ion product exceeds the solubility limit, whereas TiC remains undersaturated—findings valid within the present composition window and modeling framework. Inclusion size is governed by cooling rate and initial Ti/N content, where higher cooling rates yield finer inclusions and lower Ti/N content suppresses precipitation. Titanium originates from primary sources (raw materials and alloys) and secondary sources (decomposition or reduction of TiO2 in slag/refractories). Therefore, mitigating [Ti] requires strictly limiting primary input and suppressing secondary formation through optimized process control, such as reducing BOF slag carryover, lowering refining temperature, and controlling [Al] content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications)
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28 pages, 20357 KB  
Article
Solidification Rate as Key Factor in Strengthening Mechanisms, Tensile Properties, and Phase Features in Cast Al-Mg-Sc Alloys
by Anderson Thadeu Nunes and José Eduardo Spinelli
Materials 2026, 19(4), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19040796 - 18 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 389
Abstract
Scandium (Sc), when added together with magnesium (Mg), forms a highly effective synergistic pair in aluminum (Al) alloys, enhancing their performance in various applications. While the thermomechanical processing and heat treatment of such Al-Mg-Sc alloys have been well investigated, the behavior and features [...] Read more.
Scandium (Sc), when added together with magnesium (Mg), forms a highly effective synergistic pair in aluminum (Al) alloys, enhancing their performance in various applications. While the thermomechanical processing and heat treatment of such Al-Mg-Sc alloys have been well investigated, the behavior and features of their as-cast state remain less understood. In particular, the evolution of cellular/dendritic microstructures and the formation of phases at submicrometric and nanometric scales, especially those developing during solid-state cooling, require further elucidation. The present study employs a combination of conventional and advanced characterization techniques in the Al-5 wt.%Mg-0.4 wt.% Sc alloy, including CALPHAD, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM/STEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), tensile testing, and fractographic analysis. Al-rich dendrites surrounded by Al3Sc, AlFe, and β-Al3Mg2 phases and the formation of primary submicrometric clusters containing AlFe and Al3Sc have been identified, revealing important microstructural features that depend strongly on the solidification conditions. Moreover, nanometric Al3Sc precipitates mainly in the form of rod-like structures with sizes in the order of 50–200 nm have been observed within the α-Al matrix during solid-state cooling stage. At higher solidification rates, such as 15.3 °C/s, these precipitates remain predominantly in solid solution, indicating strong solidification rate dependence in the precipitation behavior. Comparisons between alloys containing 0.1 Sc and 0.4 Sc have demonstrated that the morphology, size, and distribution of Sc-rich phases significantly affect the stress–strain tensile response and underlying strengthening mechanisms. Distinct Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) effects have been observed, corresponding to very different serration activities in the stress–strain curves comparing both Al-5%Mg-0.4%Sc and Al-5%Mg-0.1%Sc alloy samples. Among the compositions and conditions studied, the Al–5Mg–0.4Sc alloy samples solidified under the fast-cooling condition (11.2 °C/s) exhibited the most improved mechanical performance, attaining a strength of 306 MPa and an elongation of 22.6%, underscoring the pivotal role of Sc content and solidification rate in achieving optimized mechanical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications)
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15 pages, 7908 KB  
Article
Enhanced Strength–Ductility Synergy of Fine-Grained AlCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy Prepared by Heavy Hot Deformation
by Sujun Lu, Jingou Yin, Zhenyu Dou, Ming Wei, Jian Wang, Xintao Zhang and Baoguang Zhang
Materials 2026, 19(4), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19040708 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 523
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) can be significantly enhanced by grain refinement. However, it is difficult to refine the grain size of AlCoCrFeNi HEA by solidification methods. In this study, fine-grained AlCoCrFeNi HEA was successfully prepared by heavy thermal [...] Read more.
The mechanical properties of the AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) can be significantly enhanced by grain refinement. However, it is difficult to refine the grain size of AlCoCrFeNi HEA by solidification methods. In this study, fine-grained AlCoCrFeNi HEA was successfully prepared by heavy thermal mechanical processing. The AlCoCrFeNi HEA consists of FCC, B2, and BCC phases. The FCC phase is distributed on grain boundaries, while the B2 phase is embedded in the BCC matrix within the grains. The fine-grained AlCoCrFeNi HEA has enhanced strength and ductility compared with its coarse-grained counterpart. The enhanced strength–ductility synergy of the fine-grained AlCoCrFeNi HEA is attributed to three key factors: the fine-grained microstructure, the delayed initiation of cracks within the hard-to-deform grain matrix, and the impediment of crack propagation by the grain boundaries enriched with the FCC phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications)
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18 pages, 19489 KB  
Article
Oxidation Kinetics, Morphology Evolution, and Formation Mechanisms of the High-Temperature Oxide Scale for Cr-Alloyed Automotive Beam Steels
by Jiang Chang, Yuantao Hu, Yonggang Yang, Chen Jiang, Jianling Liu, Borui Zhang, Xiong Yang and Zhenli Mi
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3774; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163774 - 12 Aug 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 964
Abstract
The oxidation behaviors of varying Cr-alloyed automotive beam steels—0.015 wt.% Cr, 0.15 wt.% Cr, and 1 wt.% Cr—were investigated using isothermal oxidation experiments. The morphologies of the oxide scale were characterized, and the formation mechanisms were analyzed to understand the change in the [...] Read more.
The oxidation behaviors of varying Cr-alloyed automotive beam steels—0.015 wt.% Cr, 0.15 wt.% Cr, and 1 wt.% Cr—were investigated using isothermal oxidation experiments. The morphologies of the oxide scale were characterized, and the formation mechanisms were analyzed to understand the change in the oxidation kinetics of the investigated steels. The results show that a small amount of Cr, up to 0.15 wt.%, can reduce oxidation kinetics; the addition of Cr at 1 wt.% causes the oxidation rate to decline at a low isothermal temperature, but the hindrance effect expires when the oxidation temperature is above 1050 °C. The oxidation scale, including the inner FeO layer, the intermediate Fe3O4 layer, and the outer Fe2O3 layer, exhibits a morphological evolution from marble-like to pore-like, then whisker-like, flocculation-like, fine oxide grains, and finally coarse oxide grains. With increasing Cr addition, the thickness of the FeO layer decreases significantly, leading to a reduction in the total thickness of the oxidation scale. During the oxidation process of the investigated steel with 0.15 wt.% Cr, a Cr-rich layer and FeO-(Cr, Fe, Mn)3O4 eutectic form; meanwhile, FeO-(Cr, Fe)2O3 eutectic and Si-rich oxides, as well as a (Cr, Si)-rich layer, occur in the oxidation scale when 1 wt.% Cr is added to the steel. The occurrence of voids in the (Cr, Si)-rich layer is responsible for the increasing oxidation kinetics of the 1 wt.% Cr steel when the isothermal temperature is above 1050 °C, and the optimal Cr concentration in automotive beam steel is 0.15 wt.%, considering both oxidation resistance and cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Alloys and Steels: Design, Processing, and Applications)
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