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Research on Microstructure Evolution and Properties of High-Strength Steel (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1023

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Guosheng Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nano and Heterogeneous Materials Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
Interests: ultrahigh-strength steels with good ductility; material processing/manufacturing; materials characterization; mechanical properties; strengthening and toughening; fracture mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High/ultrahigh-strength steels are advanced materials with exceptional strength and toughness. They are widely used in various industries, such as automotive, construction, and aerospace, due to their ability to withstand high stress and weight. Reasonable microstructure design and its evolution features are crucial for the achievement of excellent mechanical properties. Chemical composition, preparation technology (i.e., casting, additive manufacturing), and processing (i.e., TMCP, severe plastic deformation, heat treatment) are important factors that significantly affect the microstructure characteristics of materials. Thus, integrated research on the composition, processing, microstructure, and properties of materials will provide a better understanding of the correspondence between microstructures and mechanical properties, promoting the development and application of high/ultrahigh-strength steels. The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research articles, communications, and reviews dealing with processing techniques, microstructure evolution, fracture behavior, and the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of high-strength steels. Contributions encompassing experiments, simulations, and modeling related to the above subject are all encouraged.

Dr. Guosheng Sun
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • high-strength steel
  • phase transformation
  • microstructure
  • mechanical property
  • plastic deformation
  • fracture behavior
  • strengthening and toughening mechanism

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5333 KB  
Article
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 1080 Plain Carbon Steel Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion Under High-Density Printing Parameters
by Zechang Zou, Xudong Wu, Cuiyong Tang, Xueyong Chen and Ke Huang
Materials 2026, 19(6), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19061055 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 430
Abstract
For structural metallic materials, performance enhancement has traditionally relied on complex adjustments of chemical composition and heat treatment processes. However, these approaches are complex, costly, and lack sustainability. Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has unique cooling characteristics, providing it with a distinctive approach. In [...] Read more.
For structural metallic materials, performance enhancement has traditionally relied on complex adjustments of chemical composition and heat treatment processes. However, these approaches are complex, costly, and lack sustainability. Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has unique cooling characteristics, providing it with a distinctive approach. In this study, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology was used to prepare high-performance 1080 carbon steel. The study selected three groups of process parameters (VED = 92.59 J/mm3) with high density (relative density > 98%) and achieved excellent mechanical properties: the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and elongation (EL) reach 1745.4 MPa, 1455.13 MPa, and 6.77% respectively. The effects of process parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. It is found all specimens exhibited a characteristic martensitic needle-like grain morphology without significant crystallographic texture. The microstructure displayed substantial changes as VED varied, with martensite content progressively decreasing with increasing VED. Correspondingly, as the VED increases from 92.59 J/mm3 to 225.69 J/mm3, the UTS, YS, and EL decrease by 39.0%, 36.1%, and 3.4%, respectively. This work demonstrates the feasibility of achieving high-performance metallic components by precisely controlling additive manufacturing process parameters to manipulate the microstructure of simple alloys, thereby eliminating the need for complex alloying or post-processing heat treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Microstructure Evolution and Properties of High-Strength Steel (2nd Edition))
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10 pages, 15128 KB  
Communication
Research on Microstructure Evolution and Rapid Hardening Mechanism of Ultra-Low Carbon Automotive Outer Panel Steel Under Minor Deformation
by Jiandong Guan, Yi Li, Guoming Zhu, Yonglin Kang, Feng Wang, Jun Xu and Meng Xun
Materials 2026, 19(1), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19010128 - 30 Dec 2025
Viewed by 318
Abstract
With the rapid development of the automotive industry, particularly the year-on-year growth in sales of new energy vehicles, automobile outer panel materials have shown a trend toward high-strength lightweight solutions. Regarding steel for outer panels, existing research has paid less attention to the [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of the automotive industry, particularly the year-on-year growth in sales of new energy vehicles, automobile outer panel materials have shown a trend toward high-strength lightweight solutions. Regarding steel for outer panels, existing research has paid less attention to the UF steel that has entered the market in recent years. Moreover, studies on the similarities and differences in deformation behavior among various outer panel steels are lacking. In this study, room-temperature tensile tests at 5% and 8% strain were conducted in accordance with the stamping deformation range on commonly used ultra-low carbon automotive outer panel steels of comparable strength grades, namely, UF340, HC180BD, and DX53D+Z. Prior to deformation, the three materials exhibited similar texture components, predominantly characterized by the γ-fiber texture beneficial for deep drawing, and their room-temperature tensile deformation behaviors were fundamentally identical. After transverse tensile deformation, the textures concentrated towards {111}<112> texture. After 8% deformation, UF340 demonstrated a more rapid stress increase and a higher degree of work hardening. This phenomenon is attributed to the presence of the precipitate free zone (PFZ) near grain boundaries in the UF340, which facilitates the continuous generation of dislocations at grain boundaries during deformation, leading to a rapid increase in dislocation density within the grains. Consequently, this induces accelerated work hardening under small-strain conditions. This mechanism enables UF steels to achieve a strength level comparable to that of bake-hardened (BH) steels, exhibiting a significant performance advantage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Microstructure Evolution and Properties of High-Strength Steel (2nd Edition))
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