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Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys
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Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 2483

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tomasz Skrzekut

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Krakow, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: light metals; metal matrix composites; metal recycling; powder metallurgy; rapid solidification
Dr. Piotr Noga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Krakow, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: alloys; metal metallurgy; sintering; metal matrix composites; coating

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal alloys hold a special place in global industries. There are many global companies that are leaders in the production and sale of metallic alloy elements worldwide (e.g., Rolls-Royce, General Electric, Boeing, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, and SpaceX). These companies operate in the realm of high-budget investments and modern technologies, where the safety and quality of the product come first and production costs come second.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, and we hope that you will share your knowledge and the latest scientific research on the topic of "Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys". As is commonly known, limitations in the use of metals result from their low mechanical properties. Pure metals are characterized by low hardness, low abrasion resistance, and low strength properties. This Special Issue aims to present research on the strengthening processes of metallic alloys and their effects on the properties and microstructures of the alloys.

In this Special Issue, we welcome your contributions, ranging from novel techniques for producing metallic materials to advances in consolidation technologies and the use of recycling to reduce dependency on primary resources. Incorporating recycled materials in research generates numerous benefits on many levels, both for the natural environment and society.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Tomasz Skrzekut
Dr. Piotr Noga
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • metal alloys
  • mechanical properties
  • plastic consolidation
  • composites
  • microstructure
  • sintering

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 6792 KB  
Article
Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Cold Sprayed Fe-Based Metallic Glass Coatings
by Anna Góral, Anna Trelka-Druzic, Wojciech Żórawski, Łukasz Maj, Martin Vicen, Otakar Bokůvka, Paweł Petrzak and Grzegorz Garzeł
Materials 2025, 18(21), 4875; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18214875 - 24 Oct 2025
Viewed by 516
Abstract
Iron-based metallic glasses are gaining increased interest due to their good glass-forming ability, high compressive strength, high corrosion resistance, catalytic properties, excellent soft magnetic properties, and relatively low cost. Cold spraying was successfully used to produce amorphous coatings from commercially available powder without [...] Read more.
Iron-based metallic glasses are gaining increased interest due to their good glass-forming ability, high compressive strength, high corrosion resistance, catalytic properties, excellent soft magnetic properties, and relatively low cost. Cold spraying was successfully used to produce amorphous coatings from commercially available powder without any crystallization due to its high cooling rate and short processing time, minimizing thermal influences. Thick and dense amorphous coatings were obtained. The effect of a substrate on the microstructure, phase composition, microhardness, flexural strength, and wear behaviour of the coatings was investigated. The cold sprayed coatings revealed an almost complete amorphous structure and negligible porosity. The coating deposited on the steel substrate showed higher microhardness, better resistance to loose abrasive wear, and a slightly lower wear index tested in the coating and Si3N4 ball tribological association than that cold sprayed on an Al alloy. The force required to destroy the durability of the coating–steel substrate system estimated during three-point bending tests was also much higher. Both coatings were characterized by a comparable friction coefficient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys)
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15 pages, 8189 KB  
Article
Effect of High Ni Content in Gas-Atomized Cu-Ni-Si Powders for Laser Powder Bed Fusion
by Mirko Trovato, Nicolò Arcieri, Diego Manfredi, Federico Simone Gobber, Bhaskaranand Bhatt, Alessandra Martucci, Sara Biamino, Laura Montanaro, Mariangela Lombardi and Paolo Fino
Materials 2025, 18(20), 4772; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18204772 - 18 Oct 2025
Viewed by 408
Abstract
Cu-Ni-Si alloys are advanced materials for electronic applications combining high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity through precipitation of fine Ni silicides. Increasing the Ni content—and, thus, the Ni:Si ratio—enhances the volume fraction of strengthening precipitates. However, the conventional fabrication route is time-consuming and [...] Read more.
Cu-Ni-Si alloys are advanced materials for electronic applications combining high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity through precipitation of fine Ni silicides. Increasing the Ni content—and, thus, the Ni:Si ratio—enhances the volume fraction of strengthening precipitates. However, the conventional fabrication route is time-consuming and costly, as the slow cooling rates lead to a coarse microstructure and pronounced segregation, limiting Ni and Si content to 5 wt.%. Rapid solidification techniques offer a promising alternative, since the higher cooling rates refine the microstructure while suppressing the elemental segregation. This study presents a novel powder-based approach to overcome the compositional limitations of Cu-Ni-Si alloys, providing a pathway for faster alloy screening. Two gas-atomized powders with different Ni contents—CuNi3Si1.5 and CuNi10Si1.5 (wt.%)—were engineered as feedstock for laser powder bed fusion, produced, and characterized to assess the effect of the Ni level on the microstructure and properties. Gas-atomization yielded spherical powders with a fine dendritic structure and limited segregation. Increased Ni content enhanced strengthening mechanisms and hardness, as well as improved optical response, suggesting the potential of high-Ni Cu-Ni-Si compositions for use in laser powder bed fusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys)
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16 pages, 3225 KB  
Article
Fatigue Damage of Aluminum Alloy Overhead Line Conductors Initiated by Fretting
by Andrzej Nowak, Paweł Strzępek and Piotr Korczak
Materials 2025, 18(17), 4103; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174103 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 849
Abstract
Fatigue failure of overhead line conductors made of AlMgSi alloys is much more complex than fatigue failure of a single wire. The main difference lies in the fretting phenomenon, which is a significant mechanism initiating fatigue damage. It is generated because of micro-movements [...] Read more.
Fatigue failure of overhead line conductors made of AlMgSi alloys is much more complex than fatigue failure of a single wire. The main difference lies in the fretting phenomenon, which is a significant mechanism initiating fatigue damage. It is generated because of micro-movements between individual wires or outer wires and overhead line fittings. Such movements are mainly caused by aeolian vibrations, which lead to degradation of wire surface, initiation of microcracks, and premature failure of multiple wires. Research based on laboratory experiments and modeling studies simulating real operating conditions made it possible not only to identify the mechanisms leading to failure but also to assess the impact of working conditions on their evolution. According to the obtained results, properly selected heat treatment parameters influence both the mass decrease of the wires and number of cycles to failure due to fretting fatigue. Further development of materials, protective coatings, and methods of durability prediction will reduce the impact of fretting on fatigue failure and thus increase the reliability of power lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys)
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Review

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39 pages, 2270 KB  
Review
Laser Technologies of Welding, Surfacing and Regeneration of Metals with HCP Structure (Mg, Ti, Zr): State of the Art, Challenges and Prospects
by Adam Zwoliński, Sylwester Samborski and Jakub Rzeczkowski
Materials 2025, 18(22), 5237; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18225237 - 19 Nov 2025
Viewed by 425
Abstract
Metals with a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure such as magnesium, titanium and zirconium constitute key structural materials in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and nuclear energy industries. Their welding and regeneration by conventional methods is hindered due to the limited number of slip systems, [...] Read more.
Metals with a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure such as magnesium, titanium and zirconium constitute key structural materials in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and nuclear energy industries. Their welding and regeneration by conventional methods is hindered due to the limited number of slip systems, high reactivity and susceptibility to the formation of defects. Laser technologies offer precise energy control, minimization of the heat-affected zone and the possibility of producing joints and coatings of high quality. This article constitutes a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge concerning laser welding, cladding and regeneration of HCP metals. The physical mechanisms of laser beam interactions are discussed including the dynamics of the keyhole channel, Marangoni flows and the formation of gas defects. The characteristics of the microstructure of joints are presented including the formation of α′ martensite in titanium, phase segregation in magnesium and hydride formation in zirconium. Particular attention is devoted to residual stresses, techniques of cladding protective coatings for nuclear energy with Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) and advanced numerical modeling using artificial intelligence. The perspectives for the development of technology are indicated including the concept of the digital twin and intelligent real-time process control systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Metal Alloys)
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