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Advances in Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of High-Strength Steels

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 646

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: high-strength steels; strength–ductility synergy; TWIP/TRIP; nanoprecipitation strengthening

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: high-strength steels; strength–ductility synergy; TWIP/TRIP; near net shape manufacturing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Addressing climate change and achieving global carbon-neutrality targets places increasing demands on the sustainable development of structural materials. In particular, the transportation sector faces pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through vehicle lightweighting, energy efficiency improvement, and extended service life. High-strength steels play a critical role in this transition, offering an optimal balance between mechanical performance, manufacturability, cost efficiency, and recyclability. The growing demand for lighter yet safer vehicles has imposed new requirements on high-strength steels, including enhanced strength–ductility synergy, improved crashworthiness, and reliable performance under complex loading and service environments.

This Special Issue, ‘Advances in Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of High-Strength Steels’, aims to highlight recent progress in alloy design, microstructural control, processing strategies, and deformation mechanisms that govern the mechanical behavior of high-strength steel systems. Contributions addressing microstructure–property relationships, advanced characterization techniques, and sustainable steel solutions for automotive- and energy-related applications are particularly encouraged. Both fundamental research and application oriented studies are welcome.

Dr. Yuhe Huang
Prof. Dr. Shuize Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • high-strength steels
  • microstructure design
  • mechanical behavior
  • strength ductility balance
  • lightweight automotive steels
  • grain refinement
  • precipitation strengthening
  • deformation mechanisms
  • advanced characterization
  • sustainable steel materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 10949 KB  
Article
Thermo-History-Dependent Copper Enrichment During High-Temperature Oxidation of Recycled Steels
by Yuhe Huang, Fangbo Yang, Jun Lu, Shuize Wang and Xinping Mao
Materials 2026, 19(3), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030595 - 3 Feb 2026
Viewed by 428
Abstract
The utilization of recycled steel is essential for achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable engineering, yet repeated recycling inevitably leads to the accumulation of residual elements that are difficult to remove during conventional refining. Among them, copper (Cu) readily enriches in scrap-based steels and [...] Read more.
The utilization of recycled steel is essential for achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable engineering, yet repeated recycling inevitably leads to the accumulation of residual elements that are difficult to remove during conventional refining. Among them, copper (Cu) readily enriches in scrap-based steels and is a primary cause of surface hot shortness during high-temperature processing due to its segregation at the oxide/steel interface. While the compositional effects of Cu have been extensively studied, the influence of thermo-history associated with different industrial processing routes remains poorly understood. In this work, Cu enrichment during high-temperature oxidation was systematically investigated under thermo-histories representative of conventional hot rolling, thin slab continuous casting and rolling (TSCR), and strip casting. Plain carbon steels containing 0.05–0.30 wt.% Cu were oxidized at 1000–1200 °C, and interfacial microstructures were characterized using SEM–EDS. The results show that Cu enrichment is highly sensitive to both temperature and thermal exposure time, with a critical temperature range of 1100–1150 °C promoting the formation of continuous Cu-rich liquid films. Prolonged thermo-history in conventional hot rolling markedly enhances Cu enrichment, TSCR partially suppresses interfacial segregation, whereas strip casting effectively inhibits Cu enrichment even at elevated Cu contents. These findings highlight thermo-history as a dominant factor controlling Cu-induced surface hot shortness and provide guidance for process optimization in recycled steels. Full article
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