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Metals
Special Issues
Solidification and Microstructure of Metallic Alloys
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Solidification and Microstructure of Metallic Alloys

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2026) | Viewed by 3200

Editor

Dr. Fang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Interests: Al alloy; microstructure; mechanical properties

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solidification is a fundamental process governing the microstructure evolution and final properties of metallic alloys. This Special Issue aims to publish cutting-edge research on the interplay between solidification mechanisms, microstructure formation, and performance optimization in both traditional and advanced alloy systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: experimental and computational studies of nucleation/growth kinetics, phase selection, dendritic/cellular solidification, eutectic and peritectic reactions, and defect formation. Contributions exploring novel characterization techniques, multi-scale modeling approaches, and emerging applications (additive manufacturing, high-entropy alloys) are particularly encouraged. By bridging theoretical insights with industrial relevance, this Special Issue seeks to advance the understanding of solidification science and its role in tailoring microstructures for enhanced mechanical, thermal, and functional properties.

Dr. Fang Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solidification
  • microstructure evolution
  • metallic alloys
  • phase-field modeling
  • solidification defects
  • additive manufacturing
  • dendritic growth
  • heterogeneous nucleation
  • high-entropy alloys
  • in situ characterization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5328 KB  
Article
Unveiling Precipitation Behavior and Strengthening Mechanisms in Ti-Nb-Mo Steels
by Zihan He, Yunxuan Jiang, Liugu Chen, Jiashu Zhong, Na Xiao and Minghui Cai
Metals 2026, 16(3), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16030305 - 9 Mar 2026
Viewed by 515
Abstract
In this work, the effects of Nb and Mo additions on the precipitation behavior and strengthening mechanisms of three ultra-low carbon Ti-Mo-Nb steels with a predominantly ferritic microstructure were investigated under two different thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) routes. A water-quenching step after hot rolling [...] Read more.
In this work, the effects of Nb and Mo additions on the precipitation behavior and strengthening mechanisms of three ultra-low carbon Ti-Mo-Nb steels with a predominantly ferritic microstructure were investigated under two different thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) routes. A water-quenching step after hot rolling followed by furnace cooling was found to refine the average precipitate size and increase their volume fraction, leading to a significant strength improvement. Specifically, this process increased the yield strength by approximately 110~180 MPa, reaching levels above 750 MPa, with the 22Mo-Nb steel achieving a peak ultimate tensile strength of ~790 MPa. The precipitates exhibited dispersed, interphase, and grain boundary morphologies, none of which correlated directly with the TMP route or steel composition. While variations in Mo content showed little influence on precipitate characteristics, the addition of Nb markedly promoted precipitation. The strength of these Ti-Mo-Nb ferritic steels is primarily determined by precipitation strengthening. Through optimized TMP parameters and microalloying additions, the overall precipitation strengthening contribution was elevated to the 300~400 MPa range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solidification and Microstructure of Metallic Alloys)
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14 pages, 1933 KB  
Article
Effect of Annealing Treatment on Precipitation Behavior of α-Al(MnCr)Si Phases in Al–Mg–Si–Mn Alloy
by Yuxi Chen, He Jin, Haotian Liu, Zhongwen Wang, Xiaoyu Li, Qiangbing Liu, Youcheng Zhang, Zihao Li, Yunhao Wang and Chunyan Ban
Metals 2026, 16(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16010083 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 622
Abstract
Micro-segregation of solute elements is inevitable during the casting process of Al–Mg–Si alloys, significantly influencing the precipitation behavior of dispersed phases during subsequent heat treatment, ultimately influencing alloy performance. Mn and Si are typical positive segregation elements and the principal constituents of the [...] Read more.
Micro-segregation of solute elements is inevitable during the casting process of Al–Mg–Si alloys, significantly influencing the precipitation behavior of dispersed phases during subsequent heat treatment, ultimately influencing alloy performance. Mn and Si are typical positive segregation elements and the principal constituents of the dispersed phases in aluminum alloys, and their diffusion behavior directly affects the precipitation of nano-scale α-Al(MnCr)Si phases within grains during subsequent annealing. This study systematically investigates the effects of different annealing conditions (430 °C × 12 h and 530 °C × 12 h) on the precipitation behavior of α-Al(MnCr)Si phases in the Al–Mg–Si–Mn alloy. After annealing at 430 °C, the relatively low diffusion rate promoted the dispersed precipitation of α-Al(MnCr)Si phases as high-density, nano-scale particles within grains. In contrast, annealing at 530 °C substantially enhanced the elements diffusion, accelerating both nucleation and growth of α-Al(MnCr)Si phases and inducing notable Ostwald ripening, resulting in larger α-Al(MnCr)Si phases with a lower number density within grains. This study indicates that the control of annealing parameters can effectively tailor the size, distribution, and number density of nano-scale α-Al(MnCr)Si phases. The findings provide critical theoretical and practical guidance for optimizing annealing processes in Al-Mg-Si-Mn alloys. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solidification and Microstructure of Metallic Alloys)
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16 pages, 13804 KB  
Article
The Effect of Cobalt Incorporation on the Microstructure and Properties of Cu(Co) Alloys for Use in Hybrid Bonding
by Sarabjot Singh and Kathleen Dunn
Metals 2025, 15(9), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15091023 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1519
Abstract
In this study, the properties of Cu(Co) alloy films were investigated to assess their utility as an alternative material for interconnections in hybrid bonding applications. Thin films of Cu(Co) were deposited using electrochemical deposition in a standard sulfate-based electrolyte. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [...] Read more.
In this study, the properties of Cu(Co) alloy films were investigated to assess their utility as an alternative material for interconnections in hybrid bonding applications. Thin films of Cu(Co) were deposited using electrochemical deposition in a standard sulfate-based electrolyte. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the films revealed that an increasing current density during deposition resulted in an increase in cobalt concentration. Bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to visualize the fine-grained microstructure and confirmed grain boundary segregation of cobalt in the films. X-ray diffraction with a heated stage determined that the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) increased linearly with increasing cobalt content, from 17.5 ppm/K for pure copper to a maximum of 27.5 ppm/K for a film containing 24 at.% Co. Nanoindentation experiments found that the mechanical properties depended non-linearly on composition, with hardness increasing from 3.5 GPa for a 0% cobalt film to a maximum of 4.5 GPa (24 at.% Co) and the Young’s modulus increasing from 118 GPa to 214 GPa, respectively. Four-point probe electrical measurements confirmed the expected linear increase in resistivity as Co content increased. Since electrical and mechanical properties have differing dependences on the film composition, an optimal alloy composition that balances an acceptable increase in resistance with improved mechanical properties could enable more reliable, low-temperature bonding solutions in advanced microelectronic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solidification and Microstructure of Metallic Alloys)
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