Announcements

The 9th European Conference on Tribology will be held from 28 to 30 July 2025, in Zurich, Switzerland. The conference is organized by Swiss Tribology.

Topics to be covered at the conference include the following:

• Biotribology and biotribomaterials;
• Coatings and surface engineering;
• Friction, wear, and contact mechanisms;
• Green tribology;
• Industrial, automotive, and manufacturing case studies;
• Lubrication and lubricants, including solid lubricants;
• Modeling, simulations, and machine learning in tribology;
• Nano- and microtribology;
• Tribochemistry;
• Tribocorrosion.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Lubricants;
• Machines;
• Surfaces;
• Colloids and Interfaces;
• Eng;
• Coatings;
• Metals;
• CMD.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.ecotrib25.ch/.

The application deadline for the Metals Best Ph.D. Thesis Award has been extended. Entries will be accepted until 30 September 2025 and the winner announcement date will be 30 November 2025. We are looking forward to receiving applications from all over the world.

This prize will be awarded to a young scholar who is judged to have completed the most outstanding Ph.D. thesis in the field of metallurgy and metallurgical engineering, to encourage the continuation of their outstanding work and further contributions to the field.

Prizes:

• Bonus (CHF 500);
• A certificate;
• A free voucher for article processing fees; valid for one year.

Number of winners: 1.

Eligibility and requirements:

• The candidate must be a Ph.D. student or recently qualified Ph.D. who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential;
• The Ph.D. thesis must be their original work;
• The Ph.D. thesis must be defended in 2024.

List of documents for nomination:

• An executive summary of the Ph.D. thesis in English of around 3000 words;
• A letter from the Ph.D. supervisor recommends the candidate for consideration for this award;
• The candidate’s CV, which includes a list of publications connected with the thesis;
• An electronic copy of the Ph.D. thesis;
• A scanned copy of the Ph.D. diploma (or certificate of studying at a school or research institute as a Ph.D. student going to graduate or participate in graduation thesis defenses).

Schedule:

• Application deadline: 30 September 2025;
• Winner announcement: 30 November 2025 .

How can you submit nominations?
The nominations must be submitted online at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals/awards/3022.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at metals@mdpi.com if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your nominations.

We are pleased to inform you that Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) has received an increased CiteScore of 5.3.
CiteScore provides transparent metrics that enable well-informed publishing strategies, library collection development, and the benchmarking of journal performance. It is now a standard citation metric alongside SNIP and SJR that gives an up-to-date view of a journal’s impact.

The 2024 CiteScore provides an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2021 to 2024 period.

This is a reflection of the excellent performance, support, and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.

Metals’ CiteScore ranks are as follows:

• Q1 (39 out of 175) in the “Metals and Alloys” category;
• Q2 (176 out of 460) in the “General Materials Science” category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals/stats.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journal.

Metals Editorial Office

The “Welding and Joining” Section of Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) features innovative research on the science, technology, and applications of welding, brazing, soldering, diffusion bonding, and other joining techniques used for metallic materials. This Section aims to deepen the understanding of joining processes and their influence on microstructure, mechanical performance, and long-term reliability.

Key areas of interest include welding metallurgy, the weldability of advanced alloys, solid-state and fusion welding, additive manufacturing and joining, joint design and modeling, residual stress and distortion analysis, and the inspection and quality assessment of joints.

We welcome contributions that include both foundational studies and applied research with industrial relevance, especially those addressing challenges in the automotive, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing sectors.

As all papers published in Metals are in open access format, and readers have free and unlimited access to the full texts. We invite you to explore our highly cited papers from 2023, listed below.

1. “Characterization of Vapor Capillary Geometry in Laser Beam Welding of Copper with 515 nm and 1030 nm Laser Beam Sources by Means of In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Imaging”
by Florian Kaufmann, Carola Forster, Marc Hummel, Alexander Olowinsky, Felix Beckmann, Julian Moosmann, Stephan Roth and Michael Schmidt
Metals 2023, 13(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13010135
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/1/135

2. “Joining of Aluminum Alloy AA7075 and Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V through a Friction Stir Welding-Based Process”
by Francisco Dias, Gonçalo Cipriano, Arménio N. Correia, Daniel F. O. Braga, Pedro Moreira and Virgínia Infante
Metals 2023, 13(2), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020249
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/249

3. “Optimization of Bolted Joints: A Literature Review”
by Dario Croccolo, Massimiliano De Agostinis, Stefano Fini, Muhammad Yasir Khan, Mattia Mele and Giorgio Olmi
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1708; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101708
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/10/1708

4. “Quality Monitoring of Resistance Spot Welding Based on a Digital Twin”
by Jianwei Dong, Jianming Hu and Zhen Luo
Metals 2023, 13(4), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13040697
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/4/697

5. “Solid-State Welding of Aluminum to Magnesium Alloys: A Review”
by Hao Chen, Zhengqiang Zhu, Yunming Zhu, Liang Sun and Yukun Guo
Metals 2023, 13(8), 1410; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081410
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/8/1410

6. “Effects of Beam Shape on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties during Thin-Foil Laser Welding”
by Danbi Song, Ryoonhan Kim, Kwangdeok Choi, Dongsig Shin and Sujin Lee
Metals 2023, 13(5), 916; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050916
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/916

7. “Evaluation of Tungsten—Steel Solid-State Bonding: Options and the Role of CALPHAD to Screen Diffusion Bonding Interlayers”
by Ishtiaque Karim Robin, Tim Gräning, Ying Yang, Syeda Bushra Haider, Eric Andrew Lass, Yutai Katoh and Steven John Zinkle
Metals 2023, 13(8), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081438
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/8/1438

8. “Numerical Simulation of the Donor-Assisted Stir Material for Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum Alloys and Carbon Steel”
by Joseph Maniscalco, Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa, Srinivasa Bhukya and Zhenhua Wu
Metals 2023, 13(1), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13010164
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/1/164

9. “Effect of Tool Rotation Direction on Mechanical Strength of Single Lap Friction Stir Welded Joints between AA5083 Aluminum Alloy and S355J0 Steel for Maritime Applications”
by Guido Di Bella, Chiara Borsellino, Amani Khaskhoussi and Edoardo Proverbio
Metals 2023, 13(2), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020411
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/411

10. “Role of Carbon Content on Microstructure Evolution and Impact Toughness in Coarse-Grained Heat-Affected Zone of High-Strength Steel”
by Xuelin Wang, Zhenjia Xie, Wenjuan Su and Chengjia Shang
Metals 2023, 13(1), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13010106
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/1/106

The “Extractive Metallurgy” Section of Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) focuses on the latest advances in the extraction and recovery of metals from primary ores and secondary resources. This Section aims to promote a deeper understanding of metallurgical processes through research on innovative physical, chemical, and thermochemical methods.

Key areas of interest include pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, bioleaching, solvent extraction, recycling of metallic wastes, process optimization, and the environmental aspects of metal extraction.

We welcome contributions ranging from fundamental research to industrial applications, particularly those offering sustainable and energy-efficient solutions in the production of critical, strategic, and base metals.

As all papers published in Metals are open access, readers have free and unlimited access to the full texts. We invite you to explore the following highly cited papers from 2023:

1. “Lithium Production and Recovery Methods: Overview of Lithium Losses”
by Vladimír Marcinov, Jakub Klimko, Zita Takáčová, Jana Pirošková, Andrea Miškufová, Marcus Sommerfeld, Christian Dertmann, Bernd Friedrich and Dušan Oráč
Metals 2023, 13(7), 1213; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13071213
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/7/1213

2. “Designing of a Decentralized Pretreatment Line for EOL-LIBs Based on Recent Literature of LIB Recycling for Black Mass”
by Dilshan Sandaruwan Premathilake, Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior, Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa and Mentore Vaccari
Metals 2023, 13(2), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020374
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/374

3. “An Investigation on Reduction of Calcium Added Bauxite Residue Pellets by Hydrogen and Iron Recovery through Physical Separation Methods”
by Ahmad Hassanzadeh, Manish K. Kar, Jafar Safarian and Przemyslaw B. Kowalczuk
Metals 2023, 13(5), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050946
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/946

4. “Valuable Recovery Technology and Resource Utilization of Chromium-Containing Metallurgical Dust and Slag: A Review”
by Ju Xu, Mengke Liu, Guojun Ma, Dingli Zheng, Xiang Zhang and Yanglai Hou
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101768
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/10/1768

5. “Metal Recovery from Wastewater Using Electrodialysis Separation”
by Maria del Mar Cerrillo-Gonzalez, Maria Villen-Guzman, Jose Miguel Rodriguez-Maroto and Juan Manuel Paz-Garcia
Metals 2024, 14(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14010038
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/1/38

6. “Effects of Ammonium Salts on Rare Earth Leaching Process of Weathered Crust Elution-Deposited Rare Earth Ores”
by Zhenyue Zhang, Changyu Zhou, Wendou Chen, Fei Long, Zhuo Chen and Ru’an Chi
Metals 2023, 13(6), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13061112
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/6/1112

7. “Leaching of Rare Earth Elements from Permanent Magnet Swarf in Citric Acid: Effects of Acid Concentration on Extraction Kinetics”
by Pietro Romano, Soroush Rahmati, Roshanak Adavodi, Ionela Birloaga and Francesco Vegliò
Metals 2023, 13(11), 1801; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13111801
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/11/1801

8. “Selective Sulfation Roasting for Cobalt and Lithium Extraction from Industrial LCO-Rich Spent Black Mass”
by Jayasree Biswas, Sofia Ulmala, Xingbang Wan, Jere Partinen, Mari Lundström and Ari Jokilaakso
Metals 2023, 13(2), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020358
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/2/358

9. “The States and Properties of Germanium in Sulfuric Acid Solution”
by Leiting Song, Haokai Di, Ming Liang, Yan Hong, Yiner Zeng, Kun Yang and Libo Zhang
Metals 2023, 13(5), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050852
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/5/852

10. “A Review of Top-Submerged Lance (TSL) Processing—Part I: Plant and Reactor Engineering”
by Avinash Kandalam, Markus A. Reuter, Michael Stelter, Markus Reinmöller, Martin Gräbner, Andreas Richter and Alexandros Charitos
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101728
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/10/1728

The China Materials Conference 2025 will be held from 5 to 8 July 2025, in Xiamen, China. The conference is organized by the China Materials Society.

Areas include the following:

• Energy materials;
• Environmental materials;
• Advanced structural materials;
• Functional materials;
• Material design, preparation and evaluation.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to initiate an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #4052 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://cmc2025.scimeeting.cn/.

Name: Dr. Claudio Testani
Affiliation: CALEF-ENEA CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, Santa Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Research interests: titanium and aluminum alloys; ODS steels; powder metallurgy; additive manufacturing; characterization of metals (relaxation, fatigue, and creep); rolling; extrusion superplastic forging and HIP processes

The following is a short interview with Dr. Claudio Testani:

1. Could you give a brief introduction to yourself to the readers? Could you introduce your current research direction and provide an update on your progress?
My name is Claudio Testani, a structural aerospace engineer with a Ph.D. in material engineering from the University of Rome TorVergata, Italy. I hold a habilitation in metallurgy and I am a member of the Ph.D. industrial engineering scientific board of TorVergata University, where I hold the course “Light alloys metallurgy and related technologies with industrial applications”.
For over 26 years, I have worked at the CSM SpA, an Italian Research Centre for metallurgy and related processes. Actually, I am the technical director of CALEF, a public-private research consortium. Furthermore, I am an expert team member of the Italian Agency for the Promotion of European Research (APRE) for Cluster 4 in the Horizon Europe Program.
I have always been involved in industrial research applications, and my latest research field comprises the development of ODS structural steels, titanium and aluminum technologies, and light alloy thermal treatment optimization. The very last efforts have been focused on the process parameters for rolling down to ultrathin thickness high-strength Ti-alloys. Many details are, obviously, depending on the final application, and some new papers are in progress.
I am an active reviewer and author of eight international patents. I am proud to have invented the hot radial pressing process for divertors in collaboration with ENEA, published more than 100 papers in international journals, have an h-index of 16, and have given numerous oral presentations and invited talks at international conferences.

2. As a reviewer, how do you balance the encouragement of research innovation with the strict requirements for method reliability? Can you give an example?
I believe that “Research Innovation” needs “Method Reliability”. If the method is not reliable, every innovation is not a real innovation. I can report my experience in the industrial application sector: there is no innovation without reliability. I have to add other parameters for the transfer from a lab to a medium-scale application. Let me say that the industrial application of innovative metals is coupled at least with reliability and affordability. I well remember a wonderful idea, for manufacturing car exhaust systems, blocked in the 90s, not for costs, but because of not economical convenience, probably today there are similar examples with electrical car components.

3. In addition to “error correction”, what unique value do you think excellent peer review can provide to the academic community?
The “error correction” is important during a review, but more often is not only the methodological error correction, the researchers are well skilled, but the need for other clearer and more independent examination results to enhance the value of a paper.

4. What are your tips for preparing a high-quality review report? What key qualities make a review outstanding?
Before accepting a paper review, it is important to read the abstract to be sure to have skills in the field, as well as some lab experience. Then, an open-minded approach is important, letting go of any bias that could cloud your judgment.
The paper should be clear, with a robust methodology, and then the knowledge of the journal’s “Authors Guidelines”. This is really important for preparing a good review.
In recent years I have seen papers with many references, more than 50% are not useful, or just added for the authors’ interests. This should be outlined in order to prevent “citation systems” misuse.
Many times, the final papers’ conclusions are not based on the actual laboratory experimental work and in this case, it is mandatory to ask for other tests for the experimental tests. Very often, it is easy to read papers that just in the conclusion claim some “phase-identifications” without any TEM or other crystallographic determination presented in the experimental section.

5. What factors motivate you to be a reviewer for Metals, and what do you find most rewarding about the peer review process?
My experience started with publishing a paper in Metals and then receiving an invitation to review. It was simple and I discovered that the reviewer service is very interesting and permits us to stay on the crest of the wave for updating the research knowledge in material and metal applications.

6. In your research career, is there an experience in which review opinions promoted research breakthroughs?
No, unfortunately, I have never experienced such a booster. But thinking as an author it happens that the reviewer’s suggestions or comments help to clarify some details reporting more tests’ details.

7. Based on your rich reviewing experience, could you please share the common problems that authors face?
Well, there are several problems that an author has to solve apart from fluent language writing. I believe that an author must follow the “Authors Guidelines”, and the template, and organize the paper in clear sections: introduction, experimental, where are just reported the experimental tests and not the results. This is the most often problem faced: tests and results are mixed. This is a complexity also for the reviewer. Then, the discussion that many times is often a redundant exposition of literature papers (probably taken from previous Ph.D.-works) or a mixture of introduction and conclusion.

MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.

Workshop Highlights:

• Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
• How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
• How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
• Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
• How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.

Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: