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Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Metals, Alloys, and Composite...
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Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Metals, Alloys, and Composite Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 1175

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yong Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Innovation & Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Low Carbon Metallurgical Engineering, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: high-entropy alloys; alloys; microstructures; mechanical properties; preparation; composition design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shichao Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Special Solidification and Processing of Advanced Materials, School of Iron and Steel, Soochow University, Suzhou 215021, China
Interests: advanced copper alloys; metal matrix composites; special processing and solidification behavior of metal alloys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The microstructural, mechanical, and corrosion properties of metals, alloys, and composite materials play a critical role in determining their performance and suitability for various applications. The microstructure, which includes the arrangement of grains, phases, and defects within a material, significantly influences its mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, and toughness. For instance, finer grain structures typically enhance strength through grain boundary strengthening mechanisms. Alloys, which are mixtures of two or more elements, can be engineered to optimize specific properties, such as improved corrosion resistance or enhanced mechanical strength, by tailoring their composition and processing conditions.

Composite materials, combining different materials to leverage their unique properties, offer advantages such as lightweight and high-strength qualities. The selection of matrix and reinforcement materials is crucial in determining the overall performance of composites. Furthermore, understanding the corrosion properties of these materials is essential for predicting their longevity and reliability in harsh environments. Factors such as microstructural features, surface treatment, and environmental conditions influence corrosion resistance. Overall, a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior is vital for developing advanced materials that meet the demands of modern engineering applications

Dr. Yong Dong
Dr. Shichao Liu
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 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

  • metal alloys
  • metal matrix composite
  • microstructure
  • mechanical properties
  • corrosion properties

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 19411 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Effect of Cu Addition and Pre-Straining on the Natural Aging and Artificial Age-Hardening Behavior of AA6111 Alloy
by Shougang Duan, Yizhe Lu, Aiwen Li, Mingkan Tang, Weilun Chen, Chengyi Huang, Jun Du, Yanping Xu and Yan Yan
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1635; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071635 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 210
Abstract
This study systematically investigates the synergistic effects of Cu addition (0–0.7 wt.%) and 2% pre-straining on the artificial aging, natural aging (NA), and bake-hardening response (BHR) of AA6111 alloy. The results reveal that Cu significantly enhances age-hardening capacity and accelerates artificial aging kinetics. [...] Read more.
This study systematically investigates the synergistic effects of Cu addition (0–0.7 wt.%) and 2% pre-straining on the artificial aging, natural aging (NA), and bake-hardening response (BHR) of AA6111 alloy. The results reveal that Cu significantly enhances age-hardening capacity and accelerates artificial aging kinetics. The 0.7Cu alloy achieved a 14% higher peak hardness (106.9 HV) than the Cu-free alloy (93.8 HV) while reducing peak aging time by 50% (from 10 h to 5 h). Pre-straining further promoted hardening rates, shortening peak aging times to 2 h for the 0.7Cu alloy. Natural aging (NA) severely suppressed BHR in non-pre-strained alloys, reducing paint baking (PB) increments by 75–77.5% after 14 days. However, the introduction of pre-straining not only reduces the negative effects of NA but also improves the BHR. TEM analysis demonstrated that Cu addition accelerated the precipitation of fine GP zones and β″ phases while pre-straining introduced dislocations that acted as heterogeneous nucleation sites for Q′ phases, refining precipitates and suppressing NA cluster formation. The synergistic combination of 0.7Cu and pre-straining achieved a superior BHR yield strength increment of 68.1 MPa with retained ductility, highlighting its potential for automotive applications requiring balanced formability and post-forming strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Metals, Alloys, and Composite Materials)
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13 pages, 9649 KiB  
Article
Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Dual-Phase AlCrFe2Ni2 High-Entropy Alloy Under High-Strain-Rate Compression
by Hang Yan, Yu Wang, Xilin Gan, Yong Dong, Shichao Liu, Shougang Duan and Lingbo Mao
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061191 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 488
Abstract
This paper investigates the effect of strain rate on the mechanical deformation and microstructural development of dual-phase AlCrFe2Ni2 high-entropy alloy during quasi-static and dynamic compression processes. It is revealed that the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2 alloy is composed of [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the effect of strain rate on the mechanical deformation and microstructural development of dual-phase AlCrFe2Ni2 high-entropy alloy during quasi-static and dynamic compression processes. It is revealed that the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2 alloy is composed of a mixture of FCC, disordered BCC, and ordered B2 crystal structure phases. The alloy shows excellent compressive properties under quasi-static and dynamic deformation. The yield strength exceeds 600 MPa while the compressive strength is more than 3000 MPa at the compression rates of 30% under quasi-static conditions. Under dynamic compression conditions, the ultimate compression stresses are 1522 MPa, 1816 MPa, and 1925 MPa with compression strains about 12.8%, 14.7%, and 18.2% at strain rates of 1300 s−1, 1700 s−1 and 2100 s−1, respectively. The dynamic yield strength is approximately linear with strain rate within the specified range and exhibit great sensitivity. The strong localized deformation regions (i.e., adiabatic shear bands (ASBs)) appear in dynamically deformed samples by dynamic recrystallization due to the conflicting processes of strain rate hardening and heat softening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Metals, Alloys, and Composite Materials)
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9 pages, 2175 KiB  
Communication
Spontaneous Infiltration Behavior of Al Matrix into Carbon Fiber Bundles Induced by Al-Ni Binary Reaction
by Jiaming Liu, Xi Yang, Shichao Liu, Junjia Zhang, Yubo Zhang and Tingju Li
Materials 2025, 18(5), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18050966 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
In this study, a Ni-coated carbon fiber reinforced Al-matrix (Ni-CF/Al) composite is prepared utilizing a pressure-free infiltration process. The CFs are coated with a layer of Ni through an electroless plating process, which facilitates the spontaneous infiltration behavior driven by the Al-Ni binary [...] Read more.
In this study, a Ni-coated carbon fiber reinforced Al-matrix (Ni-CF/Al) composite is prepared utilizing a pressure-free infiltration process. The CFs are coated with a layer of Ni through an electroless plating process, which facilitates the spontaneous infiltration behavior driven by the Al-Ni binary reaction. The spontaneous infiltration process, observed via synchrotron radiation in the direction opposite to gravity, demonstrates a fastest velocity of 31.02 ± 1.08 μm/s. By increasing the infiltration temperature, the interfacial microstructure of the composite can be enhanced, characterized by a reduction in un-infiltrated defects and promoted by the interfacial Al-Ni reaction. Notably, large-size Al-Ni intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the interface are replaced by fine (Al+Al3Ni) eutectic structure, given an optimal fabrication temperature of 720 °C. This contributes to a significantly enhanced ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the composite, reaching a maximum of 135 ± 4 MPa, which is 159.6% higher than that of the matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Metals, Alloys, and Composite Materials)
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