Processing, Properties, Applications and Recycling of Light 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: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 87

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Engineering Research Center of Continuous Extrusion, Ministry of Education, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
Interests: recycled aluminum alloy; thermodynamic calculations

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
Interests: wire arc additive manufacturing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming, Graz University of Technology, Kopernikusgasse 24-1, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Interests: plastic deformation of light alloys, steels, Ni based alloys and MMCs; creep behaviour of Cr-steels and Ni alloys; precipitation, dissolution and phase transformation kinetics; control of the microstructure by thermomechanical processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Light alloys, including aluminum and magnesm alloys, hold a vital position in rail transit, aerospace, national defense, automotive manufacturing, and other fields due to their low density, high specific strength, excellent castability, and corrosion resistance. Alloy microstructure and properties are dominated by the processing procedure, which has a direct impact on their applications. Furthermore, to realize the closed-loop alloy flow, the recycling of secondary resources is a key component of the sustainable development of alloy systems.

This Special Issue, “Processing, Properties, Applications and Recycling of Light Alloys”, showcases excellent studies on short-process alloy manufacturing—such as continuous rheological extrusion, integrated die casting, integrated casting and forging, and additive manufacturing—are encouraged. We welcome work on alloy properties, including mechanical properties (strength, plasticity, fatigue, wear), electrochemical behavior (corrosion), and physicochemical properties (thermal and electrical conductivity, high-temperature resistance). Applications in rail transit, aerospace, national defense, and automotive manufacturing are all in scope. The recycling of aluminum and magnesium alloys is also anticipated. Research papers, reviews, and short communications from both experimental and simulation studies are welcome.

Dr. Guangzong Zhang
Dr. Siqi Yin
Dr. Maria Cecilia Poletti
Guest Editors

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-blind 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

  • aluminum and magnesm alloys
  • processing
  • properties
  • applications
  • recycling

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 5594 KB  
Article
Presence and Distribution of Second Phases in Continuous Rheological Extrusion (CRE) La-Bearing Refiners and the Effect on Al-Si-Based Alloy Refinement
by Qing He, Guangzong Zhang, Yongfei Li, Haibo Qiao, Shuo Zhang, Haifeng Liu, Shide Li, Qiang Liu, Siqi Yin, Shuji Liu, Jinqiao Zhu and Renguo Guan
Metals 2026, 16(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16010038 - 28 Dec 2025
Abstract
This study investigates the presence and distribution of second phases in continuous rheo-extrusion (CRE)-processed Al-La-Ti-B grain refiners and their effect on refining A356 Al-Si alloy. Thermodynamic calculations and microstructural characterization revealed that the main second phases include α-Al, TiAl3, TiB2 [...] Read more.
This study investigates the presence and distribution of second phases in continuous rheo-extrusion (CRE)-processed Al-La-Ti-B grain refiners and their effect on refining A356 Al-Si alloy. Thermodynamic calculations and microstructural characterization revealed that the main second phases include α-Al, TiAl3, TiB2, Al11La3, LaB6, and Ti2AL20La, with their types evolving with varying Ti/La ratios. The CRE process effectively refined and homogenized these phases. Among the tested refiners, the addition of 0.2 wt.% Al-2.5La-1Ti-1B showed the most effective refinement for A356 alloy, achieving the smallest average α-Al grain size of 221 μm and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) of 24.62 μm. This optimal refinement corresponded to superior mechanical properties: a tensile strength of 164.52 MPa and elongation of 9.0% in the as-cast state, which were further improved to be 261.13 MPa after T6 heat treatment with elongation of 5.5%. The enhancement is attributed to La’s dual role in modifying the morphology and distribution of TiB2 and TiAl3 phases and acting as a surface-active element to reduce nucleation work, thereby promoting heterogeneous nucleation. This work demonstrates that the CRE process is an effective route to fabricate high-performance La-bearing refiners with engineered microstructures and reveals that optimizing the Ti/La ratio is critical for maximizing grain refinement and mechanical performance in Al-Si alloys. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing, Properties, Applications and Recycling of Light Alloys)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop