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Metals
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Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and...
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Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and Hybrid Materials

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Welding and Joining".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 3030

Editors

Prof. Dr. Jacek Mucha

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Rzeszów University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: mechanical joining; joining sheets; mechanical testing; material processing; mechanical properties; finite-element analysis; manufacturing–engineering; tool wear in metal forming processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesco Lambiase

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: multimaterials joining; additive manufacturing; numerical modeling; machine learning; advanced manufacturing processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Waldemar Witkowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Rzeszów University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: numerical simulations; joining technologies; CAX modeling; experimental research; manufacturing processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Continuous technical progress in construction and the development of new materials necessitate the advancement of adequate joining processes. Traditional joining technologies do not always provide significant benefits or may not be applicable to new materials. Therefore, numerous investigations have been carried out to develop innovative solutions suitable for joining these materials. Recently, joining processes—i.e. assembly using permanent and detachable connections—have been increasingly applied across various areas of industrial production and prototyping. The structural quality, strength, and functionality of joints are crucial to the safety, reliability, and service life of metal structures and are closely related to the precise control of phenomena occurring within the materials used.

This Special Issue focuses, among other topics, on methods for defect detection, analysis of structural quality through destructive and nondestructive testing, optimization of joining process parameters, and research on new standards for manufacturing metallic single-layer and multilayer joints, including those with partial participation of nonmetals. Rapid prototyping processes are becoming increasingly important, so joining technologies are used to combine various prototype metallic and nonmetallic components. Modern apparatus and testing methods enable both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of manufactured joints in prototyped parts. This Issue integrates computational analysis methods with multi-parameter optimization, presenting progress and perspectives in evaluating the quality of various joints and joining techniques—from experience-based approaches to data-driven methods utilizing artificial intelligence. Topics of interest include analyses of operational functionality, mechanical quality, manufacturing economy, and energy consumption reduction to ensure structural integrity of metallic parts or their combinations with nonmetals.

In this Special Issue of Metals, we invite researchers to submit scientific manuscripts that provide new theoretical and practical insights into joining technology using various joining methods for different materials (metallic and nonmetallic, single-layer and multilayer).

Prof. Dr. Jacek Mucha
Dr. Francesco Lambiase
Dr. Waldemar Witkowski
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-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

  • energetic processes
  • economics of joining processes
  • joints properties
  • hybrid joints
  • processes control
  • joining dissimilar materials
  • lightweight hybrid sheet material
  • microstructure
  • residual stress
  • numerical modelling
  • numerical simulations
  • joints in the prototypical structures
  • green technologies
  • Industry 5.0

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 6541 KB  
Article
Enhanced Pressureless Sinter-Bonding of Ag Nanoparticle Paste Through In Situ Ag Complex Reduction
by Changsu Park and Jong-Hyun Lee
Metals 2026, 16(6), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060604 - 31 May 2026
Viewed by 461
Abstract
The high-temperature operating requirements and the issues in the packaging process of wide-bandgap power semiconductors have positioned pressureless sinter-bonding using Ag nanoparticle paste as the most promising die-attach technology. However, under pressureless conditions, where externally applied pressure-driven particle rearrangement is absent, achieving sufficient [...] Read more.
The high-temperature operating requirements and the issues in the packaging process of wide-bandgap power semiconductors have positioned pressureless sinter-bonding using Ag nanoparticle paste as the most promising die-attach technology. However, under pressureless conditions, where externally applied pressure-driven particle rearrangement is absent, achieving sufficient densification and suppressing residual porosity during short-duration annealing at 250 °C remain significant challenges for conventional single-composition Ag pastes. In this study, a hybrid filler paste composed of Ag nanoparticles and a Ag complex solution was developed to implement an active mass supply strategy, in which additional Ag atoms were directly introduced into interparticle voids through in situ reduction during sinter-bonding. Mono-dispersed Ag nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 75.26 nm were synthesized via H2O2-mediated wet-chemical reduction, and the Ag complex solution was prepared using a Ag salt–complexing agent–formic acid system dispersed in an ethylene glycol medium. TG-DTA analysis of the hybrid paste revealed four sequential thermal stages, consisting of solvent evaporation, Ag ion reduction, organic decomposition, and interparticle sintering, accompanied by approximately 16 wt% out-gassing. Based on these results, a three-step temperature profile was designed to initiate sintering after complete out-gassing. When chip/paste/substrate assemblies, pre-dried at 50 °C for 90 s and pre-compressed at 5 MPa for 60 s, were subjected to the three-step profile with a peak temperature of 250 °C, the in situ reduced Ag effectively bridged adjacent nanoparticles and filled fine interparticle voids, leading to pronounced densification of the bond line. As a result, the hybrid paste achieved an average shear strength of 19.1 MPa, exceeding the minimum requirement for sinter-bonding applications. These findings demonstrate that the proposed hybrid filler approach provides an effective pathway for enhancing pressureless Ag sinter-bonding performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and Hybrid Materials)
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17 pages, 4357 KB  
Article
Effect of Nb on Solidification Cracking, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of 310S Austenitic Stainless-Steel Welded Joints
by Yulu Su, Dan Wang and Xulei Wu
Metals 2026, 16(5), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16050554 - 19 May 2026
Viewed by 365
Abstract
In this study, 310S austenitic stainless-steel was welded using a laser with varying amounts of Nb to systematically investigate the effect of Nb on solidification cracking susceptibility, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the weld. Under the present experimental conditions, the critical restraint [...] Read more.
In this study, 310S austenitic stainless-steel was welded using a laser with varying amounts of Nb to systematically investigate the effect of Nb on solidification cracking susceptibility, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the weld. Under the present experimental conditions, the critical restraint width was higher for the 0.58 wt.% Nb and 1.45 wt.% Nb welds than for the Nb-free and 2.3 wt.% Nb welds, indicating that Nb addition affected the solidification cracking response of the weld. At low-to-moderate Nb contents, Nb can aggravate compositional segregation and increase the presence of low-melting-point liquid films, thereby increasing cracking susceptibility. At higher Nb contents, the reduced cracking susceptibility was accompanied by microstructural refinement and changes in the distribution of Nb-rich constituents during solidification. With increasing Nb content, the number of precipitated phases in the weld increases, mainly distributed at the austenite grain boundaries in granular, elongated, and chain-like forms. The introduction of Nb generally increases the microhardness and tensile strength of the welded joint, attributed to grain refinement strengthening and solid-solution strengthening. The reduction in area first increased and then decreased, suggesting that excessive Nb addition may reduce ductility because of the increased amount of grain-boundary precipitates and local strengthening heterogeneity. With increasing Nb content, the Ir/Ia ratio decreased from 67.6% to 52.2%, suggesting improved intergranular corrosion resistance. This improvement is likely related to the preferential reaction of Nb with carbon, which may suppress the formation of Cr-depleted zones at grain boundaries. Overall, Nb addition improved the corrosion resistance and increased the hardness and tensile strength of the weld; however, its effect on solidification cracking susceptibility was non-monotonic, indicating that careful control of Nb content is required to balance cracking susceptibility, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and Hybrid Materials)
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15 pages, 16090 KB  
Article
Effect of the Annealing Treatment on the Microstructure and Properties of TC4 Titanium Alloy TIG and Laser-Welded Joints
by Yansong Wang, Yulang Xu, Jingyong Li, Xuzhi Lan, Dan Song and Yanxin Qiao
Metals 2026, 16(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16040424 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 742
Abstract
This study compares the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V) titanium alloy joints welded by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) and laser processes, following a post-weld annealing treatment at 650 °C for 2 h. Distinct microstructures were obtained: the TIG-welded joint developed [...] Read more.
This study compares the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V) titanium alloy joints welded by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) and laser processes, following a post-weld annealing treatment at 650 °C for 2 h. Distinct microstructures were obtained: the TIG-welded joint developed a heterogeneous mixture of short-rod α and lamellar β, while the laser-welded joint formed a more homogeneous equiaxed α structure with uniformly distributed β-phase nanoparticles. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results confirmed that the annealing treatment significantly weakened the strong welding-induced texture and disrupted the epitaxial growth mode of columnar grains. Mechanical testing demonstrated that annealing improved the strength-toughness balance, but the extent and mechanism differed between the two processes. For the TIG-welded joint, the ultimate tensile strength slightly decreased, while elongation and impact toughness increased by 18% and 10.4%, respectively. In contrast, the laser-welded joint maintained its original strength while achieving greater improvements in ductility and toughness, with elongation and impact toughness increasing by 20% and 15.2%, respectively. This divergence is attributed to insufficient recrystallization and the persistence of residual coarse grains, limiting the TIG joint’s performance. However, in the laser-welded joint, the pinning effect of β-phase nanoparticles and associated grain refinement enhanced ductility without compromising strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and Hybrid Materials)
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13 pages, 2859 KB  
Article
Effects of Tool Rotational Speed on the Microstructure and Properties of Friction Stir Welded AZ61 Magnesium Alloy Joints
by Xihong Jin, Minjie He, Yongzhang Su, Hongfei Li, Xuhui Feng, Na Xie, Jiaxin Huang and Jian Peng
Metals 2025, 15(10), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15101128 - 10 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 878
Abstract
Magnesium alloys, characterized by high specific strength and low density, have high potential for applications in transportation and aerospace. Nevertheless, ensuring the reliable joining of thin-walled components remains a major technical challenge. This study examines how rotational speed affects the microstructure and mechanical [...] Read more.
Magnesium alloys, characterized by high specific strength and low density, have high potential for applications in transportation and aerospace. Nevertheless, ensuring the reliable joining of thin-walled components remains a major technical challenge. This study examines how rotational speed affects the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded AZ61 magnesium alloy hollow profiles (3 mm thick), with particular focus on the underlying mechanisms. The results show that higher rotational speed during friction stir welding promotes dynamic recrystallization and weakens the basal texture. It also affects microstructural homogeneity, where an optimal rotational speed produces a relatively uniform hybrid microstructure consisting of refined recrystallized and un-recrystallized regions. This balance enhances both texture strengthening and microstructural optimization. The weld joint fabricated at a rotational speed of 1500 rpm showed the best overall mechanical properties, with ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation reaching peak values of 286.7 MPa, 154.7 MPa, and 9.7%, respectively. At this speed, the average grain size in the weld nugget zone was 4.92 μm, and the volume fraction of second-phase particles was 0.67%. This study establishes a critical process foundation for the reliable joining of thin-walled magnesium alloy structures. The optimized parameters serve as valuable guidelines for engineering applications in lightweight transportation equipment and aerospace manufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives of Joints and Joining Technology Development for Metallic and Hybrid Materials)
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