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30 January 2026
Metals | Issue Cover Articles Published in the Second Half of 2025

The Issue Cover Articles below have been selected from the second half of 2025 by the Editorial Office of Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701). These articles are from multiple fields within the scope of Metals, and we hope they can provide insights for scholars in related fields. To access more journal volume information, please click the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15.

	1. “Research on Corrosion Protection of TETA-Modified Li–Al LDHs for AZ31 Magnesium Alloy in Simulated Seawater” by Sifan Tu, Liyan Wang, Sixu Wang, Haoran Chen, Qian Huang, Ning Hou, Zhiyuan Feng and Guozhe Meng Metals 2025, 15(7), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15070724 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/7/724 Cover Story: This work combines Li–Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with triethylenetetramine (TETA) inhibitors to form an efficient corrosion protection system on Mg alloy AZ31. TETA modification significantly improved the durability of Li–Al LDH coatings, addressing the short-term protection limitations of standalone Li–Al LDHs. Furthermore, TETA exhibits strong adsorption on Li–Al LDH layers, particularly on coating defects, enabling rapid barrier formation. This inorganic–organic hybrid design compensates for defects and enhances protective barriers.
	2. “Fabrication of a Porous TiNi₃ Intermetallic Compound to Enhance Anti-Corrosion Performance in 1 M KOH” by Zhenli He, Yue Qiu, Yuehui He, Qian Zhao, Zhonghe Wang and Yao Jiang Metals 2025, 15(8), 865; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15080865 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/8/865 Cover Story: A porous TiNi₃ intermetallic compound was fabricated through the reactive synthesis of elemental powders, wherein pore formation can be attributed to the bridging effects of initial powder particles and the Kirkendall effect occurring during the sintering process. This porous TiNi₃ intermetallic compound shows favorable corrosion resistance in a 1 M KOH solution, with a corrosion potential of − 0.979 VSCE and a corrosion current density of 1.18 × 10⁻⁴ A∙cm⁻², reducing the thermodynamic corrosion tendency and corrosion rate. The formation of a more stable passive film with the incorporation of Ti contributes to this improved corrosion resistance.
	3. “A Review of Machine Learning Applications on Direct Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing—A Trend Study” by Syamak Pazireh, Seyedeh Elnaz Mirazimzadeh and Jill Urbanic Metals 2025, 15(9), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15090966 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/9/966 Cover Story: A fresh review delves into ~370 papers on machine learning and AI for select metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes. The intersection of these topics since 2020 indicates that this field is growing and has not plateaued. Exciting achievements include smarter process tuning, live monitoring, defect spotting, and melt-pool prediction. However, gaps remain, including closed-loop control and a lack of generalization across systems. Future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the need for integrated thermo-mechanical models, uncertainty quantification, and adaptive control strategies. This review serves as a resource for researchers aiming to advance intelligent control and predictive modeling in directed energy deposition-based AM.
	4. “Time-Dependent Failure Mechanisms of Metals: The Role of Bifilms in Precipitation Cleavage” by John Campbell Metals 2025, 15(10), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15101084 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/10/1084 Cover Story: During casting, pouring liquid metals creates dense populations of cracks, which remain in the solid. The cracks, called bifilms, are casting defects caused by the folding of oxide films. Although they are mainly invisible, they can play a major role in the failure of metals. They are generally closed but become more serious if opened by precipitation of a second phase, such as carbides in steels, leading to failure modes such as stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement and hydrogen cracking. Revised casting methods can eliminate bifilms and these failure modes.
	5. “In Situ SEM Observations of the Liquid Metal Embrittlement of α-Brasses in Contact with the Liquid Ga-In Eutectic at Room Temperature” by Marco Ezequiel, Ingrid Proriol Serre and Alexandre Fadel Metals 2025, 15(11), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15111194 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/11/1194 Cover Story: This study provides real-time insight into liquid metal embrittlement (LME) in α-brasses in contact with the Ga–In eutectic (EGaIn) using in situ SEM micro-bending tests. Direct observations reveal that liquid metal does not affect early plasticity but acts during crack propagation. Cu-30%Zn shows clear LME, while Cu-20%Zn exhibits alternating ductile–brittle events governed by its deformed microstructure. In contrast, pure Cu and Cu-15%Zn remain fully ductile despite persistent EGaIn contact. These findings highlight the roles of alloy microstructure and composition in LME susceptibility and demonstrate the value of in situ SEM observations for unravelling embrittlement mechanisms.
	6. “Direct Energy Deposition of Inconel 718 onto Cu Substrate for Bimetallic Structures with Excellent Comprehensive Properties” by Stefano Felicioni, Josip Vincic, Annalisa Zacco, Alberta Aversa, Paolo Fino and Federica Bondioli Metals 2025, 15(12), 1292; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15121292 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/12/1292 Cover Story: This work demonstrates an effective Direct Energy Deposition strategy for fabricating crack-free Inconel 718–copper bimetallic structures, overcoming the large thermophysical mismatch between the two alloys. By depositing In718 directly onto a copper substrate through tailored process control, strong diffusion bonding and defect-free interfaces were achieved without post-processing. Microstructural analyses revealed uniform precipitate distribution and consistent penetration depths, while mechanical testing confirmed enhanced hardness, creep resistance, and interfacial integrity. Notably, precipitation strengthening had already occurred on the copper side in the as-built condition. The proposed approach enables reliable, high-performance In718–Cu components for demanding aerospace and thermal-management applications.