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Announcements

6 November 2025
MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Pioneering Contributions in Computational Physical Science


MDPI is delighted to announce the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. Named in honor of Professor Michele Parrinello, the award celebrates his exceptional contributions and his profound impact on the field of computational physical science research.

The award will be presented biennially to distinguished scientists who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of computational physical science—spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science.

About Professor Michele Parrinello

"Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”

——Professor Michele Parrinello

Born in Messina in 1945, he received his degree from the University of Bologna and is currently affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology. Professor Parrinello is known for his many technical innovations in the field of atomistic simulations and for a wealth of interdisciplinary applications ranging from materials science to chemistry and biology. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, also known as the Car–Parrinello method, marking the beginning of a new era both in the area of electronic structure calculations and in molecular dynamics simulations. He is also known for the Parrinello–Rahman method, which allows crystalline phase transitions to be studied by molecular dynamics. More recently, he has introduced metadynamics for the study of rare events and the calculation of free energies.

For his work, he has been awarded many prizes and honorary degrees. He is a member of numerous academies and learned societies, including the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, which is the major academy in his home country of Italy.

Award Committee

The award committee will be chaired by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, a computational condensed matter physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at the Department of Physics, Fudan University. Professor Xin-Gao Gong will lead a panel of several senior experts in the field to oversee the evaluation and selection process.

The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University (Shanghai, China), led by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, will serve as the supporting institute for the award.

"We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award."

——Professor Xin-Gao Gong

The first edition of the award was officially launched on 1 November 2025. Nominations will be accepted before the end of March 2026. For further details, please visit mparrinelloaward.org.

About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration. The foundation also oversees the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award. The establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award will further enrich the existing award portfolio, providing continued and diversified financial support to outstanding professionals across various fields. 

In addition to these foundation-level awards, MDPI journals also recognize outstanding contributions through a range of honors, including Best Paper Awards, Outstanding Reviewer Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Editor of Distinction Awards, and others. These initiatives aim to recognize excellence across disciplines and career stages, contributing to the long-term vitality and sustainability of scientific research.

Find more information on awards here.

21 January 2026
Metals | Recruiting Section Editor-in-Chief for the “Structural Integrity of Metals” Section


Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) is recruiting a Section Editor-in-Chief for the “Structural Integrity of Metals” Section. The Section homepage can be viewed here:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals/sections/structural_integrity_metals.

Section Editors-in-Chief are leaders in their particular field and are responsible for ensuring the scientific quality of a particular section of a journal. The Section Editor-in-Chief is expected to oversee the growth and development of their journal section and its Editorial Board Members. The initial term for this position is 2 years. Section Editors-in-Chief have the following responsibilities:

  • Acting as an ambassador for the journal, MDPI, and open access publishing;
  • Making scientific decisions about the scope of the section;
  • Inviting distinguished scientists to join the Editorial Board;
  • Suggesting topics for Special Issues;
  • Providing support and guidance to Editorial Board Members and editorial staff when required;
  • Maintaining oversight of the editorial process for individual manuscripts in the section (mainly by making the final decision regarding whether a paper can be published after undergoing peer review and revisions);
  • Understanding, leading, and upholding MDPI’s peer review and ethics guidelines.

This position is open to experts in the field of metal structural integrity and will remain open until the journal formally announces the Section Editor-in-Chief online. To apply for this position, recommend potential candidates, or request further information, please contact the Metals Editorial Office (metals@mdpi.com) with the following two files attached:

  • A full academic CV;
  • A short cover letter that details your interests and enthusiasm for the position.

In addition, the “Structural Integrity of Metals” section is also recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs), Guest Editors, and volunteer reviewers. The relevant requirement information can be found via the following links:

We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

Metals Editorial Office

16 January 2026
Interview with Mr. Jiasheng Wang—Winner of the Metals Travel Award


The journal Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) is proud to present the winner of the 2025 Metals Travel Award—Mr. Jiasheng Wang!

Mr. Jiasheng Wang is a PhD researcher studying metallic material science and technology at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. China. He has been committed to research related to the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys for more than 4 years.

The following is a short interview with Mr. Jiasheng Wang:

1. Congratulations on winning the Metals Travel Award! What does this recognition mean to you, and how has it impacted your research and professional development? Can you share with us your feelings after winning the award?
Winning the Metals Travel Award is an immense honor and provides profound encouragement for my early-career research journey. To me, this recognition represents far more than financial or logistical support—it provides validation of the potential and value of my work in the field of advanced metallic materials. It also reinforces my confidence in pursuing challenging research directions, such as optimizing coating deposition processes via magnetron sputtering or exploring the structure–property relationships of alloys under extreme service conditions.
On a professional level, this award has already opened new doors: it has provided me with the opportunity to present my findings at high-impact international conferences, connect with leading scholars in the field, and potentially establish collaborative research partnerships. In terms of emotions, when I first received the notification, I felt a surge of excitement mixed with gratitude—gratitude to my supervisor for their mentorship, to my lab colleagues for their support, and to the Metals editorial team for recognizing young researchers. This award has not only motivated me to strive for higher standards in my research but also inspired me to contribute more actively to the academic community in the future.

2. Can you tell us about your current research interests? What motivated you to pursue this area of study?
My current research interests primarily focus on two interconnected directions: the design and fabrication of high-performance metallic coatings for extreme environments and the development of low-activation, high-strength alloys for nuclear energy applications.
My motivation to pursue this area stems from two core factors. Firstly, the growing demand for advanced materials that can withstand harsh service conditions—such as high temperature, high pressure, and intense radiation—has created urgent technological gaps. I am passionate about developing materials solutions that address real-world engineering challenges and support the sustainable development of high-tech industries. Secondly, my undergraduate and graduate research experiences ignited my fascination with the structure–property relationships of metals.

3. Where did you learn about how to apply for this journal award? Can you briefly introduce which conference or conferences you plan to attend with this award?
I first learned about the Metals Travel Award through the journal’s official website and its regular email newsletters, which I subscribed to due to my frequent references to Metals papers in my research. Additionally, my supervisor, who has published several high-quality articles in Metals and follows the journal’s initiatives closely, also recommended the award to me, highlighting its reputation for supporting young researchers’ conference participation.
With this generous support, I plan to attend the 11th International Conference on Technological Advances of Thin Films and Surface Coatings (THINFILMS2026), scheduled for July 13-17, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Atrium in Singapore. This biennial conference is the premier global platform for thin film technology, bringing together academia, industry experts, and innovators to share breakthroughs in areas ranging from nanostructures and functional coatings to industrial applications of thin film technologies. Notably, it features dedicated symposia on “High Entropy & Amorphous Coatings”—topics directly aligned with my research focus. At THINFILMS2026, I will deliver an oral presentation on my latest work. This conference not only offers the chance to showcase my research to a targeted, global audience through a formal oral presentation but also to engage with leading scholars (such as plenary speakers specializing in thin film deposition and functional materials) and explore potential collaborations.

4. Attending international conferences is an essential part of scientific collaboration and growth. How did the Metals Travel Award support your participation, and how do you plan to promote the journal at the conference? Do you have any thoughts on how the promotion of the journal at conferences could be more effective?
The Metals Travel Award has been instrumental in facilitating my conference participation, primarily by covering critical expenses such as registration fees, travel costs, and accommodation expenses. For early-career researchers like me, these costs often pose a significant barrier to attending international conferences, which are vital for academic growth. Without this support, I would not have been able to present my work to a global audience or engage with leading experts in my field.
To promote Metals at the conferences, I have planned several concrete actions:

  • Highlight the journal in my presentation: I will explicitly mention that my research is supported by the Metals Travel Award in the acknowledgments section of my poster and oral presentation (if selected), and reference key papers published in Metals that have informed my work;
  • Share journal resources with peers: I will bring printed materials about Metals and distribute them to fellow researchers during networking sessions. I will also recommend Metals as a high-quality publication venue for their work, especially emphasizing its rigorous peer review process and broad readership in the metallurgy community;
  • Engage in journal-related discussions: I will participate in any Metals-sponsored events or booths at the conferences (if available) and share my positive experience with the journal, encouraging other young researchers to submit their work and apply for future awards.

Regarding more effective conference promotion, I have two suggestions:

  • First, organize small-scale thematic workshops or roundtables at conferences. These events can focus on emerging topics in metallurgy and invite journal editors and leading authors to participate. This would not only enhance the journal’s visibility but also foster targeted academic discussions.
  • Second, create a “Metals Young Researchers Network” at conferences, where awardees and young authors can connect, share research experiences, and discuss publication strategies. This network can serve as a platform for long-term engagement, encouraging more young researchers to contribute to and support the journal.

5. Do you have any other suggestions on how our journal could further support young researchers and the academic community?
I believe Metals can enhance its support for young researchers and the broader academic community through several initiatives:

  • Publish more educational content: Create a “Young Researcher Corner” section in the journal, featuring tutorial articles, case studies on successful research projects, and insights from early-career scientists about their research journeys. This content would be invaluable for students and new researchers entering the field.
  • Offer reduced publication fees for young researchers from low- and middle-income countries: Open access has democratized academic publishing, but publication fees can still be a burden for researchers in resource-limited regions. Waiving or reducing these fees for eligible young authors would increase the journal’s global inclusivity and diversify its authorship.
  • Host annual “Metals Research Awards” beyond travel grants: Recognize outstanding research papers by young authors published in Metals, with prizes including cash rewards, invitations to keynote at a conference, or editorial board membership opportunities. This would incentivize high-quality submissions from young researchers and highlight their contributions to the field.

6. As a winner, how do you view the role of open access journals (such as Metals) in academic communication? Will you consider reviewing or contributing to them in the future?
I firmly believe that open access (OA) journals like Metals play a transformative role in modern academic communication. Unlike traditional subscription-based journals, OA journals eliminate barriers to knowledge access, allowing researchers, engineers, and students worldwide—regardless of their institutional affiliation or financial resources—to read, cite, and build upon the latest research findings. This is particularly critical for interdisciplinary fields like metallurgy, where collaboration across academia, industry, and government is essential for innovation.
Moreover, OA journals often adopt efficient peer review processes and flexible publication formats (e.g., rapid communications, data papers), which accelerate the dissemination of research results and promote the sharing of research data—a key driver of reproducible science. Metals, in particular, has distinguished itself by maintaining high editorial standards while embracing open access, making it a trusted venue for both fundamental and applied metallurgy research.
Looking to the future, I am eager to both contribute to and review for Metals.

7. How would you describe your experience with our services and the journal so far?
My experience with Metals has been overwhelmingly positive, characterized by professionalism, efficiency, and a strong commitment to supporting researchers. From the moment I first interacted with the journal—through reading its open access articles for my research—to applying for the Travel Award, every step has been seamless and user-friendly.
The journal’s website is well organized, making it easy to search for relevant papers, navigate submission guidelines, and find information about awards and special issues. The application process for the Travel Award was straightforward, with clear instructions and prompt communication from the editorial team.
Furthermore, the quality of research published in Metals is consistently high. The journal covers a broad range of topics in metallurgy and materials science, and its papers are well cited and widely recognized in the community. As a regular reader, I have found many Metals articles to be essential references for my own research, providing valuable insights and methodologies.
Overall, my experience has reinforced my admiration for Metals as a leading open access journal in the field. I am grateful for the support the journal has provided to me as a young researcher and look forward to continuing my engagement with Metals in the years to come.

15 January 2026
Metals | Highly Cited Papers from 2024 in the “Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment” Section


The “Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment” Section of Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) focuses on the latest advancements in the manufacturing, processing and heat treatment of metallic materials, aiming to deepen the scientific understanding and technological development of casting techniques, metal forming methods and heat treatment processes.

Key areas of interest include solidification behavior in casting, advanced forming technologies (such as rolling, forging, extrusion and drawing), thermomechanical processing, phase transformations, microstructure evolution and the optimization of heat treatment parameters to enhance material performance.

We welcome the submission of original research and review articles that address both fundamental insights and practical applications, especially those with industrial relevance and innovation.

As all papers published in Metals are open access, readers have free and unlimited access to full texts. We invite you to explore our highly cited papers from 2024, listed below.

1. “A Review of Deformation Mechanisms, Compositional Design, and Development of Titanium Alloys with Transformation-Induced Plasticity and Twinning-Induced Plasticity Effects”
by Yu Fu, Yue Gao, Wentao Jiang, Wenlong Xiao, Xinqing Zhao and Chaoli Ma
Metals 2024, 14(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14010097
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/1/97

2. “A Review of Sheet Metal Forming Evaluation of Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS)”
by Rui Pereira, Nuno Peixinho and Sérgio L. Costa
Metals 2024, 14(4), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14040394
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/4/394

3. “A Critical Review on the Comparative Assessment of Rare-Earth and Non-Rare-Earth Alloying in Magnesium Alloys”
by Hafiz Muhammad Rehan Tariq, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Hyun-Hak Kang, Umer Masood Chaudry and Tea-Sung Jun
Metals 2025, 15(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020128
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/128

4. “Recurrent Neural Networks and Three-Point Bending Test on the Identification of Material Hardening Parameters”
by Daniel J. Cruz, Manuel R. Barbosa, Abel D. Santos, Rui L. Amaral, Jose Cesar de Sa and Jose V. Fernandes
Metals 2024, 14(1), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14010084
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/1/84

5. “Numerical Simulation as a Tool for the Study, Development, and Optimization of Rolling Processes: A Review”
by Adrián Ojeda-López, Marta Botana-Galvín, Leandro González-Rovira and Francisco Javier Botana
Metals 2024, 14(7), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14070737
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/7/737

6. “Heat Treatment Process, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Spring Steel with Ultra-High Strength and Toughness”
by Fang Shi, Jian Zheng, Jie Zhang, Yang Zhao and Liqing Chen
Metals 2024, 14(2), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020180
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/2/180

7. “Continuous Dynamic Recrystallization and Deformation Behavior of an AA1050 Aluminum Alloy during High-Temperature Compression”
by Qi Yang, Tomasz Wojcik and Ernst Kozeschnik
Metals 2024, 14(8), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14080889
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/8/889

8. “Effects of Aging Treatments on the Age Hardening Behavior and Microstructures in an Al-Mg-Si-Cu Alloy”
by Limei Liu, Yingpeng Hou, Tuo Ye, Like Zhang, Xuan Huang, Yuqing Gong, Chao Liu, Yuanzhi Wu and Shiyun Duan
Metals 2024, 14(2), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020238
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/2/238

9. “Numerical Simulation Research on the Temperature Field and Hot Roll Crown Model of Hot Continuous Rolling Mills”
by Zizheng Li, Sahal Ahmed Elmi, Luxuan Liu, Baoliang Yin, Shuang Kuang and Zhenhua Bai
Metals 2024, 14(2), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020166
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/2/166

10. “The Influence of Hot Deformation on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of 42CrMo4 Steel”
by Mariana Pop, Ioana-Monica Sas-Boca, Dan Frunză, Florin Popa and Adriana Neag
Metals 2024, 14(6), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14060647
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/6/647

9 January 2026
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2025


We have expanded our open access portfolio with eight new journals publishing their inaugural issues in December 2025, as well as three journal transfers. These additions span physical sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, environmental and Earth sciences, medicine and pharmacology, and public health and healthcare. We extend our sincere thanks to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who are shaping these journals’ direction. All journals uphold strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

New Journals

Founding Editor-in-Chief(s)

Journal Topics (Selected)

Dr. Elisa Felicitas Arias,

Université PSL, France

Editorial | view inaugural issue

atomic clocks; time and frequency metrology; GNSS systems; relativity and relativistic timekeeping; fundamental physics in space |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. José F.F. Mendes,

University of Aveiro, Portugal

Editorial | view inaugural issue

complex systems; network science; nonlinear dynamics and chaotic behaviour; information theory and complexity; computational complexity |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. Roberto Morandotti,

Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique—Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications (INRS), Canada

Editorial | view inaugural issue

light generation; light sources and applications; light control and measurement; human responses to light; lighting design |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. Savvas A. Chatzichristofis,

Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus

Editorial | view inaugural issue

generative AI and large language models in education; multimodal and embodied AI; personalization and adaptive systems; assessment, feedback, and academic integrity; learning analytics |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. Jon Andoni Duñabeitia,

Universidad Nebrija, Spain

Editorial | view inaugural issue

cognitive psychology; cognitive neuroscience; psycholinguistics; applied linguistics; experimental psychology |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. Caiwu Fu,

Wuhan University, China;

Prof. Dr. Longxi Zhang,

Peking University, China

Editorial | view inaugural issue

cultural practices; cultural theory; cultural policy; cultural heritage; transregional and transnational cultural flows|

view journal scope | submit an article

Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar,

iCREST Environmental Education Foundation, USA

Editorial | view inaugural issue

biosphere interactions, processes, and sustainability; ecosystem science and dynamics; biodiversity conservation; global change and environmental adaptation; biogeochemical cycles |

view journal scope | submit an article

Dr. Giuseppe Mulè,

University of Palermo, Italy

Editorial | view inaugural issue

cardiorenal syndromes; chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease; cardiorenalmetabolic syndrome; hypertension and diabetes in relation to the abovementioned syndromes; diagnostic techniques |

view journal scope | submit an article

Transferred Journals

Editor-in-Chief

Journal Topics (Selected)

Prof. Dr. Peter Matt,

Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), Switzerland

Editorial | view first issue

cardiology; cardiovascular and aortic surgery; cardiovascular anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology; congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiology;

cardiovascular regenerative and reparative medicine |

view journal scope | submit an article

Prof. Dr. Oana Săndulescu,

Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania;

National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals”, Romania

Editorial | view first issue

infectious diseases across clinical and public health domains; epidemiology of communicable diseases; clinical microbiology and applied virology; vaccinology and immunization; host–pathogen interactions and immunity |

view journal scope | submit an article

Dr. Roxana Elena Bohiltea,

“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania

Editorial | view first issue

public health; disease prevention; screening and early detection; lifestyle interventions and health education; digital and innovative prevention |

view journal scope | submit an article

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create more new journals, you are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

8 January 2026
Metals | 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles


The goal of the Editor’s Choice Articles project is to promote high-quality articles published in Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701). We are pleased to share the following articles carefully handpicked by the scientific editors of the journal, which we believe will be of interest to you. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals/editors_choice.

1. “Effect of Tropical Marine Atmospheric Environment on Corrosion Behaviour of the 7B04-T74 Aluminium Alloy”
by Ning Li, Weifang Zhang, Xiaojun Yan, Meng Zhang, Lu Han and Yikun Cai
Metals 2023, 13(5), 995; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050995
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/995

2. “Corrosion of Copper in a Tropical Marine Atmosphere Rich in H2S Resulting from the Decomposition of Sargassum Algae”
by Mahado Said Ahmed, Mounim Lebrini, Benoit Lescop, Julien Pellé, Stéphane Rioual, Olivia Amintas, Carole Boullanger and Christophe Roos
Metals 2023, 13(5), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050982
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/982

3. “Corrosion Behavior of the AZ31 Mg Alloy in Neutral Aqueous Solutions Containing Various Anions”
by Duyoung Kwon, Hien Van Pham, Pungkeun Song and Sungmo Moon
Metals 2023, 13(5), 962; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050962
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/962

4. “Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of 310S Stainless Steel in Hot Concentrated Tap Water”
by Wen Xian, Zhong Yin, Lele Liu and Moucheng Li
Metals 2023, 13(4), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13040713
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/4/713

5. “High-Entropy Alloy Coatings Deposited by Thermal Spraying: A Review of Strengthening Mechanisms, Performance Assessments and Perspectives on Future Applications”
by Rakesh Bhaskaran Nair, Raunak Supekar, Seyyed Morteza Javid, Wandong Wang, Yu Zou, André McDonald, Javad Mostaghimi and Pantcho Stoyanov
Metals 2023, 13(3), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030579
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/579

6. “Stress Corrosion Cracking Mechanisms of UNS S32205 Duplex Stainless Steel in Carbonated Solution Induced by Chlorides”
by Ulises Martin and David M. Bastidas
Metals 2023, 13(3), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030567
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/567

7. “Effect of Laser Shock Peening on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of 304L Stainless Steel”
by Young-Ran Yoo, Seung-Heon Choi and Young-Sik Kim
Metals 2023, 13(3), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030516
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/516

8. “Corrosion Behavior of High Entropy Alloys and Their Application in the Nuclear Industry—An Overview”
by Tianrun Li, Debin Wang, Suode Zhang and Jianqiang Wang
Metals 2023, 13(2), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020363
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/363

9. “Effect of Superhydrophobic Surface on Corrosion Resistance of Magnesium-Neodymium Alloy in Artificial Hand Sweat”
by Changyang Liu, Jiapeng Sun and Guosong Wu
Metals 2023, 13(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020219
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/219

7 January 2026
Metals Travel Award—Winners Announced


It is our great pleasure to announce the winners of the Metals 2026 Travel Award. This award supports junior scientists in presenting their latest research at academic conferences in the field of metallurgy and metallurgical engineering, helping to advance their professional development and visibility. 

The award has been granted to the following scholars:

  • Mr. Jiasheng Wang, PhD student, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China. He will attend the 11th International Conference on Technological Advances of Thin Films and Surface Coatings (ThinFilms 2026) (13–17 July 2026), to be held in Singapore;
  • Dr. Rui F.V. Sampaio, Postdoctoral fellow, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. He will attend the International Conference on the Technology of Plasticity 2026 (ICTP) (11–16 October 2026), to be held in Jeju Island, South Korea. 

Both winners will receive an honorarium of CHF 1000 and an electronic certificate. 

On behalf of the Evaluation Committee, we want to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. 

We would like to thank all the candidates from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluations of the many excellent candidates. 

Metals Editorial Office

6 January 2026
Metals | Notable Review Papers Published in 2025


Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal published monthly online by MDPI. The Editorial Office has selected a list of notable review papers published in 2025, covering critical and diverse areas of metallic materials research and providing insights for all enthusiasts and professionals in the field. We hope that these papers will foster new research ideas and offer references for scholars and authors in this field. Please feel free to read these papers and share them with your peers.

1. “Metal Additive Manufacturing and Molten Pool Dynamic Characterization Monitoring: Advances in Machine Learning for Directed Energy Deposition”
by Wentao He, Lida Zhu, Can Liu and Hongxiao Jiang
Metals 2025, 15(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020106
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/106

2. “Elemental Segregation and Solute Effects on Mechanical Properties and Processing of Vanadium Alloys: A Review”
by Tianjiao Lei, Chongze Hu, Qiaofu Zhang and Xin Wang
Metals 2025, 15(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15010096
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/1/96

3. “A Critical Review on the Comparative Assessment of Rare-Earth and Non-Rare-Earth Alloying in Magnesium Alloys”
by Hafiz Muhammad Rehan Tariq, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Hyun-Hak Kang, Umer Masood Chaudry and Tea-Sung Jun
Metals 2025, 15(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020128
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/128

4. “A Review on Material Dynamics in Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing: Bonding, Stress, and Structural Evolution in Metals”
by Abishek Kafle, Shengjun Lu, Raman Silwal and Weihang Zhu
Metals 2025, 15(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020187
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/187

5. “A Review on the Additive Manufacturing of W-Cu Composites”
by Muhammad Hussain, Bosheng Dong, Zhijun Qiu, Ulf Garbe, Zengxi Pan and Huijun Li
Metals 2025, 15(2), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020197
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/197

6. “A Review on the Magnetovolume Effect of the Full Heusler Alloys Ni2MnZ (Z = In, Sn, Sb)”
by Takeshi Kanomata, Xiao Xu, Takuo Sakon, Yuki Nagata, Shin Imada, Toshihiro Omori, Ryosuke Kainuma, Tetsujiro Eto, Yoshiya Adachi, Takumi Kihara, et al.
Metals 2025, 15(2), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020215
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/2/215

7. “Application of Artificial Intelligence to Support Design and Analysis of Steel Structures”
by Sina Sarfarazi, Ida Mascolo, Mariano Modano and Federico Guarracino
Metals 2025, 15(4), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15040408
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/4/408

8. “Optimising Additive Manufacturing of NiTi and NiMnGa Shape Memory Alloys: A Review”
by Ali Ramezannejad, Daniel East, Anthony Bruce Murphy, Guoxing Lu and Kun Vanna Yang
Metals 2025, 15(5), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050488
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/488

9. “Stainable Utilization Strategies for Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag: Properties, Processing, and Future Directions”
by Chunting Ma, Siqi Zhang, Keqing Li, Tong Zhao, Qingxin Meng, Dongshang Guan and Ao Zhang
Metals 2025, 15(5), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050537
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/537

10. “Numerical Simulation and Hot Isostatic Pressing Technology of Powder Titanium Alloys: A Review”
by Jianglei Cui, Xiaolong Lv and Hanguang Fu
Metals 2025, 15(5), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050542
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/542

11. “Data Science in Order and Disorder of High-Entropy Materials”
by Jiasheng Wang, Jianzhong Jiang, Peter K. Liaw, Guihong Geng and Yong Zhang
Metals 2025, 15(6), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15060632
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/632

12. “Experimental and Simulation Research Progress on the Solidification Structure Evolution of High Chromium Cast Iron”
by Longxiao Huang, Yang Liu and Hanguang Fu
Metals 2025, 15(6), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15060663
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/663

13. “Composition Optimization in Alloy Design for Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy: A Review”
by Yu Zhou, Xinbao Zhao, Yunpeng Fan, Quanzhao Yue, Wanshun Xia, Qinghai Pan, Yuan Cheng, Weiqi Li, Yuefeng Gu and Ze Zhang
Metals 2025, 15(7), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15070793
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/7/793

14. “Hydrometallurgical Treatment of EAF By-Products for Metal Recovery: Opportunities and Challenges”
by Ewa Rudnik
Metals 2025, 15(8), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15080914
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/8/914

15. “AI Design for High Entropy Alloys: Progress, Challenges and Future Prospects”
by Enzhi Xie and Chao Yang
Metals 2025, 15(9), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15091012
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/9/1012

31 December 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #30 - Scaling with Integrity, Highly Cited Researchers, KEMÖ Consortium, Michele Parrinello, and Best PhD Thesis Awards

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts


With colleagues at MDPI headquarters in Basel, representing the people behind our global growth and shared commitment to integrity.

Scaling with Integrity: A Year of Growth, Responsibility, and Trust

When I look back on 2025, one phrase seems to sum up the year: “Scaling with integrity.” That was our watchword for 2025, and it will remain so as we move forward in to 2026.

Our journal portfolio continued to grow in 2025, reflecting the trust of a widening proportion of the scholarly community.

Today, MDPI has 355 journals indexed in Scopus and 330 in Web of Science – a testimonial to the scale at which our journals meet established external quality criteria. During the year, 45 of our journals were newly accepted into Scopus and 29 into Web of Science (this excludes transferred journals to our portfolio that were already indexed), following rigorous, independent evaluation by the world’s leading indexing bodies

Meeting external quality benchmarks

These results underline the fact that scaling responsibly is not only about expanding our catalogue, but also about meeting external quality benchmarks consistently, transparently, and at scale. Our indexing performance remains one of the strongest independent validations of MDPI’s commitment to rigor, trust, and long-term sustainability.

Over the course of 2025, we made targeted investments to ensure that the integrity of our editorial process scaled to keep pace with our growth. We strengthened our editorial governance by doubling down on our dedicated Publication Ethics department, appointing a Head of Ethics, and expanding our research integrity team by the addition of new specialists plus the creation of embedded editorial ethics roles across key journals. We also introduced new internal ethics guidelines, pre-review integrity checks, and monitoring dashboards to help teams identify potential issues and apply consistent standards across our portfolio.

Besides investing in systems and tools, we of course also invested heavily in our people and culture, delivering organisation-wide training on topics such as image integrity, AI use in publishing, and ethical oversight, while actively engaging with the wider publishing community through COPE and STM forums.

All these efforts reflect a simple principle: growth only matters if it is matched by rigor, responsibility, and trust.

Technology and AI: Supporting the editorial decision-making process

At MDPI, AI is designed to assist, not replace, editorial decision-making. It is one element in a broader system that combines people, technology, and processes to support scale responsibly.

In 2025, we continued to invest heavily in technology that supports quality rather than shortcuts. Our AI team doubled in size, ensuring that increased automation goes hand-in-hand with expertise and oversight. Proprietary AI tools such as Scholar Finder have significantly improved the precision of reviewer matching, while Ethicality has been widely adopted across editorial workflows to identify contextual signals, such as scope alignment and citation behaviour, so that human judgment can be applied where it matters most.

Partnerships: Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements and Societies

Our recent growth is also reflected in the strength of our partnerships. In 2025, we entered into more than 150 new IOAP agreements, bringing our total to 975 active agreements worldwide. This activity included the signing of our first-ever consortium agreements in North America, renewals of all major national consortia in the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Croatia, and the conclusion of several flat-fee agreements. At the same time, we concluded a total of 30 agreements, encompassing 24 new Society affiliations, four strategic publishing partnerships, and two journal acquisitions.

In 2025, we opened MDPI USA in Philadelphia – our latest global office, which complements our Toronto office in representing North America. MDPI USA is responsible for accelerating Open Access in the US through ongoing support of our scholars and for expanding our institutional and society partnerships.

On the other side of the globe, meanwhile, we signed an IOAP agreement in India, allowing researchers discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs), streamlined APC management for universities, and visibility into submissions, supporting India’s push for wider Open Access by offering flexible models and helping institutions meet national mandates such as Plan S.

Sustainability, sponsorships and awards

We continued to expand our sustainability efforts during 2025, hosting the 11th World Sustainability Forum, awarding CHF 125,000 in sustainability-related funding, and launching the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation conference, which will officially take place in January 2026.

We also saw a record year for conference sponsorships and awards (while establishing new awards such as the Michele Parrinello Award), recognising scholars across disciplines and reinforcing our commitment to supporting the global research community at every stage of the academic journey.

Deepening our relationships

In 2025, I had the opportunity to travel more widely than ever before on MDPI business, meeting many of our stakeholders face to face and relishing the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their science communication needs. It was also excellent to visit a large number of MDPI offices and witness the commitment and service orientation of so many of our colleagues around the world. I shall resume my itinerary in the new year, and I look forward to many more such interactions.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will be celebrating a very significant milestone: 30 years of MDPI. From our foundation as a single Open Access journal in 1996 to the global publishing organisation we are today, our mission has remained consistent: advancing Open Access through rigorous and trustworthy scientific communication.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders – authors, Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, and reviewers – who have placed their trust in us during 2025. On behalf of the entire MDPI team, I look forward to deepening our relationships yet further in 2026 and celebrating 30 Years of Open Science at MDPI, something we’ve built together.


Basel, Switzerland, where MDPI was founded in 1996.

Impactful Research

621 MDPI Editors Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2025

I am pleased to share an important milestone for our editorial community and for MDPI. In late November, Clarivate announced the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers, and 621 MDPI Editorial Board Members were included among the most influential scientific contributors over the past decade! 

The 621 editors come from 33 countries, representing 21 scientific disciplines, and account for nearly one in every ten Highly Cited Researchers globally. This recognition speaks to the depth of expertise across our Editorial Boards and the strength of the scientific communities that choose to collaborate with MDPI. It is important to note that while citation metrics are not in themselves a proxy for quality, they do offer one lens on sustained scientific influence.

“Our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us”

Why this is important

Having more than 600 editors recognized on this list highlights:

  • The high level of expertise guiding peer review across our journals
  • The global and disciplinary diversity within our Editorial Boards
  • Our commitment to maintaining strong, knowledgeable, and engaged editorial oversight

Impactful science is of course shaped by broad, diverse research communities, and no single metric captures the full picture of research quality. However, this recognition does serve as meaningful, independent affirmation of the calibre of many editors who contribute to MDPI’s work.

A closer look at the recognition

Clarivate’s methodology highlights researchers whose publications rank in the top one per cent by citation count, reflecting consistent influence over the past decade. The process includes:

  • Evaluation of c. 200,000 highly cited papers
  • Removal of retracted publications
  • Filtering of papers with unusually large authorship groups to focus on clear contributions

That so many of our editors meet these thresholds reflects the impact of the communities behind our journals.

What this means going forward

This recognition underlines the fact that our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us.

For authors, partners, and readers, it confirms that:

  • MDPI journals benefit from editorial guidance grounded in active, high-impact research
  • Our Editorial boards include leaders who are helping shape the future direction of their fields
  • MDPI continues to attract experts who value openness, efficiency, and scientific integrity

For our internal teams, it is a reminder that the work we do every day (supporting editors, refining workflows, and improving systems) directly contributes to the trust placed in MDPI by researchers worldwide.

Thank you to all our editorial teams, publishing staff, and journal relationship specialists, and to everyone who collaborates with our Editorial Boards. Achievements like this are only possible because of your ongoing hard work, dedication, and collaboration.


From our first annual MDPI UK Summit in Manchester, bringing together over 30 Chief Editors and Editorial Board Members to discuss MDPI’s mission, achievements, and collaborations in the UK.

Inside MDPI

MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Computational Physical Science

In case you missed it, in November, we announced the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award. This new biennial international award will recognize pioneering contributions in computational physical science. The award honours Michele Parrinello, one of the most influential scientists of the past half-century in atomistic simulations and computational materials research.

This award reflects MDPI’s long-standing commitment to recognizing scientific excellence, supporting foundational research, and inspiring the next generation of scholars across disciplines.

“Be confident that what you do is meaningful”

Honouring a transformative scientific legacy

Professor Parrinello’s work has fundamentally reshaped how scientists model matter at the atomic scale. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, widely known as the Car–Parrinello method, opening new pathways in electronic structure calculations and molecular simulations. His subsequent contributions, including the Parrinello–Rahman method and metadynamics, have become core tools across physics, chemistry, materials science, and increasingly biology.

“Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking, ‘What is going to happen to me?’ and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”

 – Professor Michele Parrinello

A global, community-led award

The award committee is chaired by Xin-Gao Gong, Professor of Physics at Fudan University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University will serve as the supporting institute, reinforcing the award’s international and cross-cultural foundation.

Nominations for the first edition of the Michele Parrinello Award opened on 1 November 2025, with submissions accepted until March 2026. The award will recognize scientists whose work has advanced computational physical science across physics, chemistry, and materials research – fields increasingly central to energy, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and technological innovation.

Why this matters for MDPI

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which supports science as a driver of long-term societal progress.

Alongside other foundation-level honours, including the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, this new prize builds on our role in supporting excellence across career stages and disciplines.

MDPI journals and programs continue to recognize researchers through Best Paper Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards. Together, these initiatives reflect a simple belief: strong scientific communities are built through recognition, trust, and sustained support.

As MDPI approaches its 30th anniversary, the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award highlights our commitment not only to publishing research but also to helping shape the future of science by celebrating those who expand its boundaries.

Coming Together for Science

KEMÖ Consortium (Austria) Extends Open Access Agreement with MDPI until 2027

I’m pleased to share that MDPI has renewed its Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreement with the Austrian library consortium KEMÖ, extending our partnership through 2027.

The renewed agreement now includes 23 Austrian institutions, with the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) joining the partnership. Participating institutions benefit from APC discounts across MDPI’s more than 495 journals, with centralized funding options further reducing the administrative burden for researchers and libraries.

“This renewal reflects shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe”

Austria continues to be an important and engaged research community for MDPI, with 525+ Austrian Editorial Board Members, eight Editors-in-Chief, and 15 Section Editors-in-Chief contributing to our journals.

This renewal reflects long-term trust and shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe, and improves MDPI’s collaboration with national OA infrastructures such as the Open Access Monitor Austria. Such long-term agreements show how MDPI’s growth is increasingly built on institutional trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to Open Access.

A big thank-you to the IOAP team and everyone involved in supporting this partnership.

Closing Thoughts

Celebrating the Next Generation of Scholars: MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards

One of the privileges of working in scholarly publishing is supporting the beginning of new scientific journeys. We recently announced the recipients of MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards, recognizing some of the most promising emerging researchers across disciplines.

These awards do more than celebrate academic excellence. They reflect something deeper about our mission: supporting the next generation of authors and the future of Open Science.

Recognition of Excellence

This year, we made awards to 55 early-career researchers across seven fields:

For those of you who have completed a PhD, you’ll know first-hand that behind each number is a story of perseverance, curiosity, and sustained effort. These researchers represent institutions around the world, with thesis topics spanning:

  • Brain–machine interfaces and neural engineering
  • Sustainable materials and next-generation batteries
  • Cancer genomics, tumour microenvironments, and immunotherapy
  • AI-driven image analysis, robotics, and computational models
  • Climate change monitoring and environmental risk assessment
  • Regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and drug development

These dissertations are early signs of the scientific directions that will shape the coming decade.

“Our mission is about building a global community of authors”

Why this is important

Every year, millions of scholars begin their research careers with limited visibility and few platforms for sharing their work. By recognizing outstanding PhD theses, we elevate authors early in their academic journeys, build MDPI’s connection to the global research community, reinforce our commitment to quality and rigor, and highlight the depth and breadth of scholarship published across our portfolio (from biology to materials science to mathematics).

A foretaste of the future

These 55 awardees represent the next generation of researchers whose work will influence science, policy, and society in the years ahead. What we support today helps shape the scientific ecosystem of tomorrow. Our mission goes beyond publishing papers. It is about building a global community of authors who will define the next era of scientific discovery.

To explore more about MDPI Awards, including current and upcoming Best PhD Thesis Awards, please click here.

Thank you to the editors, reviewers, and teams across MDPI who make these awards possible each year.

Everything we achieved this year was made possible by the collective effort of our global teams and the trust placed in us by the scholarly community. Thank you again, and here’s to the successful continuation of our collaboration in 2026!

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

30 December 2025
Metals | Issue Cover Articles Published in 2023


The articles below have been selected as the 2023 issue cover articles by the Editorial Office of Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701), covering multiple fields within the scope of the journal. We hope that they provide insights and references for scholars in these fields.

1. “Applications of Nanoporous Gold in Therapy, Drug Delivery, and Diagnostics”
by Palak Sondhi, Dhanbir Lingden, Jay K. Bhattarai, Alexei V. Demchenko and Keith J. Stine
Metals 2023, 13(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13010078
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/1/78

Cover Story: Nanoporous gold (np-Au) is emerging as an important nanomaterial in drug delivery, diagnostics and therapeutics. Np-Au offers a tunable pore size, biocompatibility and ease of fabrication into thin films, particles or shapes such as cylinders. The material can serve as a host for drug molecules with adjustable release for use in implanted devices. The plasmonic properties of np-Au enable applications in the photothermal therapy of cancer and also in diagnostic sensor development. Np-Au is an excellent electrode material for use in sensitive electrochemical detection schemes for biomarkers.

2. “Effects of B and Ce Grain Boundary Segregation on Precipitates in Super Austenitic Stainless Steel”
by Song Yang, Jinyao Ma, Chao Chen, Caili Zhang, Junyu Ren, Zhouhua Jiang, Guangwei Fan and Peide Han
Metals 2023, 13(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020326
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/326

Cover Story: The precipitation of a Cr- and Mo-rich σ phase in super austenitic stainless steel (SASS) seriously affects the steel’s thermoplasticity and corrosion resistance. A new air-cooling and low-temperature diffusion treatment method was adopted, its purpose being to inhibit these precipitates. Ce inhibited the nucleation of the precipitates, while B induced the formation of Mo-rich precipitates and precipitates containing B and Mo, with the B-containing precipitates being serrated. The formation of B-containing serrated precipitates diminished the Cr-depleted zone near the grain boundary. The addition of B and Ce could lead to a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance of S31254 SASS.

3. “Effect of Laser Shock Peening on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of 304L Stainless Steel”
by Young-Ran Yoo, Seung-Heon Choi and Young-Sik Kim
Metals 2023, 13(3), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030516
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/3/516

Cover Story: Laser shock peening (LSP) was performed on 304L stainless steel, and the SCC properties were evaluated via the U-bend test in 42% MgCl2. LSP induced a residual compressive stress in the depth direction and a grain refinement and an increased pitting potential of the cross section, and thus, the total and net crack propagation rates were reduced. Based on multiple regression analysis, the relationship between residual stress and crack propagation rates was strong, but the relationships between the average grain size and pitting potential of the cross section and crack propagation rates were moderate and weak, respectively.

4. “Study on the Bath Smelting Reduction Reaction and Mechanism of Iron Ore: A Review”
by Guilin Wang, Jianliang Zhang, Yaozu Wang, Yubo Tan, Zhen Li, Bo Zhang and Zhengjian Liu
Metals 2023, 13(4), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13040672
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/4/672

Cover Story: Bath smelting reduction technology is globally favored as a non-blast-furnace ironmaking technology that directly reduces iron ore into liquid metal without using coke as the raw material. This work focuses on three key aspects of smelting reduction, namely the thermal decomposition characteristics of iron ore during smelting reduction, the smelting reduction mechanism of iron-ore particles, and the smelting reduction mechanism of FeO-bearing slag. The experimental study methods, reaction mechanisms, influencing factors, and kinetic behavior of the three are highlighted to help foster a better understanding of the nature of the bath smelting reduction reaction.

5. “Microstructural Evolution of a High-Strength Zr-Ti-Modified 2139 Aluminum Alloy for Laser Powder Bed Fusion”
by Federico Larini, Riccardo Casati, Silvia Marola and Maurizio Vedani
Metals 2023, 13(5), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050924
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/924

Cover Story: A precipitation-hardening Al2139 alloy doped with additions of Zr and Ti was printed via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and subsequently exposed to temperatures up to 300 °C. The relationship between performance degradation and changes in material structure was investigated through microhardness monitoring and microstructure analysis. The fully equiaxed fine-grained as-built state exhibits micro-segregations of Cu and Mg at the grain boundaries. These disappeared after the optimized T4 heat treatment, which formed rod-shaped Zr- and Ti-based second phases and quasi-spherical Cu-, Mn-, and Fe-rich particles. High-temperature holding leads to the rearrangement and subsequent spheroidization of Cu- and Mg-rich particles at the grain boundaries.

6. “Ranking of Injection Biochar for Slag Foaming Applications in Steelmaking”
by Christopher DiGiovanni, Delin Li, Ka Wing Ng and Xianai Huang
Metals 2023, 13(6), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13061003
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/6/1003

Cover Story: EAF has the potential to decarbonize the steel industry. Carbon needs to be injected into molten slag for slag foaming in EAF steelmaking. Biocarbon is gaining attention as an alternative to fossil carbon. Two biochar candidates were tested in an induction furnace to simulate EAF conditions. The slag foaming height was measured and compared to fossil carbon candidates. The results show that biochar has considerable slag foaming capacity, specifically in bio-briquette forms. Ongoing research aims to develop a standardized methodology for ranking and qualifying different biochar candidates for larger-scale use.

7. “Study on the Wear Resistance of Ni-Co-ZrO2 Composite Coatings with Different ZrO2 Nanoparticle Concentrations Prepared Using Electrodeposition on the Micro-Surface of Spindle Hook Teeth”
by Tianxin Dong, Xingyu Wang, Fei Li, Yifan Zhu and Xiuqing Fu
Metals 2023, 13(7), 1251; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13071251
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/7/1251

Cover Story: To improve the wear resistance of the surface of the cotton picker spindle, a Ni-Co-ZrO2 composite coating doped with ZrO2 nanoparticles was prepared via electrochemistry on the microsurfaces of spindle hook teeth. The effects of different ZrO2 nanoparticle concentrations on various parameters of the coating were discussed. The test results indicated that Ni-Co-ZrO2 composite coatings featured a more compact coating structure, a greater coating thickness, and a smaller grain size. The presence of ZrO2 nanoparticles led to further improvements in the coating’s wear resistance. When the mass concentration of ZrO2 nanoparticles reached 4 g/L, the wear resistance reached its highest level.

8. “Microstructural Characterization of Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels”
by Libang Lai, Paul Chekhonin, Shavkat Akhmadaliev, Jann-Erik Brandenburg and Frank Bergner
Metals 2023, 13(8), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081339
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/8/1339

Cover Story: Ion irradiation is a promising tool for emulating neutron-irradiation effects on reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. Comprehensive microstructure characterization was performed by means of different electron microscopies. The main work was based on scanning transmission electron microscopy applied to cross-sectional samples prepared using the focused ion beam technique to investigate ion irradiation-induced loops. Two different types of RPV steels with two levels of ion displacement damage were compared. Furthermore, a comparison was performed with the same samples previously irradiated with neutrons, and the results were discussed.

9. “Aging Behaviour of a 12.2Cr-10Ni-1Mo-1Ti-0.6Al Precipitation-Hardening Stainless Steel Manufactured via Laser Powder Bed Fusion”
by Alessandro Morri, Mattia Zanni, Lorella Ceschini, Alessandro Fortunato and Massimo Pellizzari
Metals 2023, 13(9), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13091552
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/9/1552

Cover Story: The effect of solution annealing on the microstructure, aging, and over-aging behaviour of a precipitation-hardening stainless steel (PHSS) manufactured via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was investigated. Despite the different microstructures in the as-built and solution annealed conditions, the steel exhibited the same peak hardness, aging, and over-aging behaviour, which was related to nanometric precipitates and martensite-to-austenite reversion. Therefore, solution annealing on LPBF-manufactured PHSS is not mandatory in order to achieve high hardness and thermal stability, which are required for plastic injection moulding applications, thus enabling the production of complex tools with conformal cooling channels, hardened through simple direct aging treatment.

10. “Effect of Magnet Alternate Stirring on the Internal Quality of Sn-Pb Alloy”
by Mengyun Zhang, Yanping Bao and Haibo Zhang
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1732; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101732
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/10/1732

Cover Story: A permanent magnet stirrer was built to study the effect of different magnetic field stirring modes on the solidification quality of Sn-20 wt-% Pb alloy ingots. The internal quality of the ingot can be improved by adjusting both the stirring speed and the modes. In this paper, a permanent magnet stirrer was developed instead of an electromagnetic stirrer, and a Sn-20%Pb alloy was used instead of steel. Furthermore, the effects of different magnetic field stirring modes on the solidification structure and element uniformity of the alloy ingots were studied.

11. “Fast Gold Recovery from Aqueous Solutions and Assessment of Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Gold Composite”
by Tamara Tadić, Bojana Marković, Zorica Vuković, Plamen Stefanov, Danijela Maksin, Aleksandra Nastasović and Antonije Onjia
Metals 2023, 13(11), 1864; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13111864
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/11/1864

Cover Story: The design and development of antibacterial polymer-supported materials, which can be easily functionalized, could improve their antimicrobial properties due to the synergistic effect between nanoparticles and the polymer matrix and solve the nanoparticle aggregation problem. In this study, a novel porous gold polymer composite was prepared via the functionalization of glycidyl methacrylate-based copolymers with ethylene diamine (pGME-en) and was demonstrated to be a rapid adsorbent for gold from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the subsequent use of this versatile sorbent as an antimicrobial agent was investigated.

12. “Evaluation of the Applicability of Voltammetric Modes in Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy for In Situ Corrosion Characterisation of Copper-Based Materials”
by Brenda Hernández-Concepción, Adrián Méndez-Guerra, Ricardo M. Souto and Javier Izquierdo
Metals 2023, 13(12), 1965; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13121965
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/12/1965

Cover Story: The introduction of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) into the study of corrosion reactions and mechanisms provides interesting insights on initiation events and their dissemination with chemical and spatial resolution. More recently, its applicability has expanded thanks to methodological and instrumental developments that allow the combination of SECM with other spectroscopic, scanning probe microscopy, or electrochemical techniques to collect information on even earlier time scales and from systems with smaller differences in local chemical reactivity. This work shows the effectiveness of combining SECM with electrochemical voltammetry techniques to monitor in situ metal dissolution processes associated with the acidic corrosion of copper-based materials.


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