Fabrication and Properties of Alloys at Nanoscale

Dear Colleagues,

The pursuit of high-performance metallic materials has driven materials science toward the nanoscale. Historically, the field began with the concept of nanocrystalline (NC) materials in the 1980s, primarily spurred by pioneers like Gleiter. Early efforts focused on techniques like gas condensation and severe plastic deformation (SPD) to achieve grain sizes below 100 nm, which resulted in a dramatic increase in material strength, often conforming to the Hall-Petch relationship. However, this early stage faced a major obstacle: the catastrophic loss of ductility and premature failure inherent in pure NC metals, severely limiting their practical use. The field achieved a significant breakthrough in the 2000s with the development of nanotwinned (NT) alloys. Researchers discovered that introducing high-density, coherent nanoscale twin boundaries could simultaneously enhance strength by impeding dislocation motion while maintaining excellent strain hardening and ductility. Today, the focus has shifted from simple size reduction to comprehensive interface engineering—precisely controlling all internal interfaces (grain boundaries, twin boundaries, phase, and precipitation/matrix interfaces) for optimized properties. This fundamental understanding is now being integrated with advanced processing methods, such as severe plastic deformation (SPD) and additive manufacturing (AM), to fabricate complex nanoscale high-entropy alloys and components, ensuring the continued evolution and critical importance of this research domain.

This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that explore the latest advancements in the processing, microstructural characterization, and comprehensive property assessment of alloys structured at the nanoscale. We seek to provide a platform for reporting novel fabrication strategies and fundamental understanding of how tailoring nanoscale features impacts the performance of metallic materials.

We welcome high-quality submissions across the entire spectrum of research pertaining to nanostructured alloys and nanoprecipitate-strengthen alloy, including (but not limited to) the following key areas:

1. Novel Fabrication Techniques

Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD): New or modified SPD routes (e.g., High-Pressure Torsion, Equal Channel Angular Pressing) for producing bulk nanocrystalline materials.

Additive Manufacturing (AM): Fabrication of nanoscale or ultra-fine grained alloys (including HEAs and bulk metallic glasses) via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), directed energy deposition (DED), and other AM methods.

Physical and Chemical Synthesis: Advances in thin film deposition, electrodeposition, and powder metallurgy techniques for creating materials with tailored nanoscale architectures.

2. Interface and Microstructure Engineering

Interface Control: Strategies for stabilizing nanocrystalline and nanotwinned structures against thermal and mechanical loads (e.g., solute segregation, second-phase pinning).

Phase Stability: Studies on the stability, formation, and evolution of nanoscale precipitates and phases in high-entropy alloys and conventional alloys.

3. Mechanical and Functional Properties

Mechanical Behavior: In-depth analysis of deformation mechanisms, fatigue, creep, and fracture in nanocrystalline and nanotwinned alloys.

Functional Properties: Investigation of enhanced functional properties, including corrosion resistance, wear resistance, magnetic, electrical, and catalytic performance, enabled by the nanoscale structure.

Modeling and Simulation: Computational studies (e.g., Molecular Dynamics, Phase Field Modeling) predicting the formation and behavior of nanoscale alloys and interfaces.

Dr. Fenghui Duan
Dr. Wei Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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.

• nanocrystalline metallic materials
• interface engineering
• mechanical properties
• severe plastic deformation
• additive manufacturing