Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
3.1
Journals
Metals
Special Issues
Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels
share announcement

Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels

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: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 1196

Editor

Prof. Dr. Jianchao Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of mechanical engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Interests: advanced rolling techniques; forming processes; high-performance materials; tooling design; circular economy in manufacturing; alloy development; microstructure optimization; computational modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With industries striving for lighter, stronger, and more durable components, the precision and versatility offered by advanced rolling and forming techniques are more critical than ever. The advancement of rolling and forming technologies for alloys and steels continues to be a pivotal aspect of modern metallurgy, reflecting the need for increased efficiency and performance in material processing. Among them, the iterative process of systematically upgrading alloys and steel materials constitutes a key pillar of contemporary materials science and engineering development. The fundamental driving force lies in simultaneously enhancing the energy efficiency of processing, the controllable consistency of microstructure and performance, and the service reliability of the final products. Rolling and forming, as typical thermo-mechanical–organizational coupled plastic forming processes, directly determine the macroscopic geometric configuration, surface quality integrity, and service function boundaries of materials. The deep integration of advanced process strategies and digital enabling technologies not only helps manufacturers achieve precise control over dimensional accuracy but also significantly reduces the comprehensive energy consumption per unit product.

This Special Issue invites original research that systematically investigates the impact of key process parameters such as deformation temperature, strain rate, strain path, and tooling configuration on the microstructure, properties, and performance of rolled and formed alloys and steels. We particularly welcome studies that enhance predictive capabilities through advanced computational modeling techniques like crystal plasticity finite element modeling and phase-field simulations, as well as research focused on sustainability aspects including energy optimization, emission reduction, and circularity in process design. By integrating cutting-edge advancements and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the development of next-generation rolling and forming technologies for high-performance metallurgical manufacturing.

Best regards,

Prof. Dr. Jianchao Han
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

  • rolling technology
  • forming innovation
  • alloys and steels
  • digital manufacturing
  • process optimization
  • computational modeling
  • advanced applications
  • sustainability in metallurgy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 28938 KB  
Article
Heat Treatment Strengthening Process and Mechanism for 20SA Aluminum-Clad Steel Wire
by Shouzhen Cao, Yiyong Jin, Guangqing Xu, Fuqiang Wang, Yao Wang and Hongfeng Wang
Metals 2026, 16(8), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080855 - 4 Aug 2026
Abstract
Aluminum-clad steel wires are widely used in ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission lines due to their excellent beneficial properties. To address the inadequate strength–ductility balance of aluminum-clad steel wires for UHV applications, this study investigates the effects of cold drawing and low-temperature annealing (200~330 °C) [...] Read more.
Aluminum-clad steel wires are widely used in ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission lines due to their excellent beneficial properties. To address the inadequate strength–ductility balance of aluminum-clad steel wires for UHV applications, this study investigates the effects of cold drawing and low-temperature annealing (200~330 °C) on the microstructure, aluminum/steel interface, and mechanical properties of 20SA (20.3% IACS) aluminum-clad steel wires. The results indicate that the cold-drawn steel core exhibits high strength due to its high dislocation density and strong <110> fiber texture. Low-temperature annealing promotes overall recovery and partial recrystallization of the microstructure. Specifically, annealing at 240~280 °C significantly enhances ductility while maintaining high strength, achieving optimal strength–ductility synergy; however, higher annealing temperatures result in an unacceptably low ultimate strength, rendering them impractical for application. Interfacial characterization reveals that the as-clad and cold-drawn processes, as well as annealing below 250 °C for 10 min, maintain stable metallurgical bonding at the aluminum/steel interface, whereas annealing at 300 °C for 10 min induces the formation of brittle Fe-Al intermetallic compounds, thereby compromising service reliability. Furthermore, the precipitation of cementite (Fe3C) with increasing temperature partially compensates for the strength loss caused by overall recovery. This study identifies the optimal heat treatment window, providing a theoretical basis for the strength–ductility design and reliable service of UHV transmission lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 18783 KB  
Article
Finite Element Simulation and Process Optimization of JCO Forming for Extreme-Specification X80 Steel Line Pipes
by Tingting Zhang, Wenbin Zhang, Feng Ji, Hongli Li, Zhenyi Huang and Mingzhen Ma
Metals 2026, 16(8), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080845 - 3 Aug 2026
Abstract
The current internationally largest-diameter and thickest-wall oil and gas transmission line pipe of X80 grade (API Spec 5L) manufactured by longitudinal submerged arc welding (LSAW) is the X80 OD 1422 mm × 32.1 mm straight-seam LSAW pipe, which approaches the limit of manufacturing [...] Read more.
The current internationally largest-diameter and thickest-wall oil and gas transmission line pipe of X80 grade (API Spec 5L) manufactured by longitudinal submerged arc welding (LSAW) is the X80 OD 1422 mm × 32.1 mm straight-seam LSAW pipe, which approaches the limit of manufacturing equipment capability. To overcome the 29-pass limitation of the conventional JCO (J-forming, C-forming, O-forming) forming process for steel pipes, this study conducts a three-dimensional finite element numerical simulation analysis based on ABAQUS 2022/Explicit (explicit dynamic finite element solver within the commercial finite element software Abaqus) to investigate the JCO forming process of this extreme-specification pipe. An innovative involute lower die is designed, enabling a reduction in the forming process to 25 passes. The residual stress and plastic strain distributions in the formed pipes from both the 25-pass and 29-pass processes exhibit consistent patterns, characterized by higher values at the surface layers and lower values in the core region, with the inner surface showing higher stress and strain levels than the outer surface. The maximum residual stress (231.7 MPa) and maximum plastic strain (0.03787) of the 25-pass pipe are slightly lower than those of the 29-pass pipe (231.9 MPa and 0.03859, respectively). In terms of geometric accuracy, the 25-pass process yields an opening gap of 118.8 mm, marginally better than the 118.98 mm of the 29-pass process, and produces a smoother outer circumference profile after forming. These results demonstrate the superiority of the 25-pass process with the novel involute die configuration. The subsequent engineering application validates that the established finite element model possesses high predictive accuracy and practical guidance value. This study provides a breakthrough solution to the technical challenge of excessive forming passes in the JCO forming of the extreme-specification X80 OD 1422 mm × 32.1 mm pipe, achieving a reduction in forming passes while maintaining forming quality, significantly improving efficiency, and reducing manufacturing costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 20141 KB  
Article
Influence of Process Parameters on the Forming Quality and Metal Flow Characteristics of the Billet During Hot Extrusion of an Automotive Luggage Rack
by Anna Cheng, Xuedao Shu, Dewei Zhang, Haijie Xu, Chang Shu, Khamis Essa and Zbigniew Pater
Metals 2026, 16(6), 637; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060637 - 9 Jun 2026
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Automotive roof racks are important lightweight accessories for vehicles, and their extrusion performance is affected by the coupled effects of material hot deformation behavior, die flow resistance and billet surface layer transport. In this study, Al-0.9Mg-0.6Si alloy samples were subjected to hot compression [...] Read more.
Automotive roof racks are important lightweight accessories for vehicles, and their extrusion performance is affected by the coupled effects of material hot deformation behavior, die flow resistance and billet surface layer transport. In this study, Al-0.9Mg-0.6Si alloy samples were subjected to hot compression tests at 350–500 °C and strain rates of 0.01–10 s−1. The corrected true stress–true strain data were used to establish and validate an Arrhenius-type constitutive model, which was then implemented in HyperXtrude to simulate the hot extrusion of an automotive roof rack profile. The hot working map showed that the main rheological instability region was located at high strain rates, and the preferred processing window was 437–500 °C and 0.01–0.6 s−1. EBSD analysis showed that hot compression refined the microstructure relative to the initial average grain size of 173.147 μm, and the most uniform grain size distribution was obtained at 500 °C and 0.1 s−1. The ODF results indicated strengthened {111}<121> and <110>//TD texture components after compression. The finite-element results showed that the standard deviation of outlet velocity (SDV), used here as an index of outlet flow uniformity, increased with ram speed, billet preheating temperature and die preheating temperature, but decreased with increasing container temperature. Finally, grain size and texture measurements from butt discard samples were compared with simulated surface layer flow paths, supporting the predicted difference between simple axial flow and complex recirculating flow near the die. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 9424 KB  
Article
Dependence of Intragranular Orientation Gradients on Grain Orientation in Cold-Rolled Fe-3%Si Steel
by Xi Chen, Guojin Zhang, Songtao Chang, Yuhui Sha and Fang Zhang
Metals 2026, 16(6), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060584 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 361
Abstract
Intragranular orientation gradients play a critical role in deformation and recrystallization texture evolution of silicon steel. In this study, the dependence of intragranular orientation gradients on grain orientation in a cold-rolled Fe-3%Si alloy was systematically investigated through electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), complemented by [...] Read more.
Intragranular orientation gradients play a critical role in deformation and recrystallization texture evolution of silicon steel. In this study, the dependence of intragranular orientation gradients on grain orientation in a cold-rolled Fe-3%Si alloy was systematically investigated through electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), complemented by a rate-dependent crystal plasticity model, incorporating grain boundary resistance. A comparative assessment of intragranular orientation gradients in the grain core and grain boundary regions revealed that they are markedly sensitive to grain orientation, with the grain boundary region exhibiting a higher orientation gradient than the grain core. The formation of intragranular orientation gradients is governed by the orientation stability during plastic deformation: stable convergent α (<110>//RD, rolling direction) and γ (<111>//ND, normal direction) orientations develop lower orientation gradients, whereas grains with unstable divergent λ (<001>//ND) orientations exhibit higher orientation gradients. Furthermore, intergranular interactions during rolling reduce orientation stability near grain boundaries, thereby promoting higher orientation gradients in the grain boundary region compared to the grain core. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rolling and Forming of Alloys and Steels)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop