Dear Colleagues,

Microstructural characterization is essential to understand the behavior of any kind of material. This Special Issue will focus on metallic alloys, because alloy development is an essential factor for obtaining new classes of materials for advanced applications in new transportation systems, new energy efficient systems, and prothesis development. Such a broad spectrum of requirements in advanced applications includes all groups of metallic alloys. Fe and steel business have a long tradition in alloying, but lightweight constructions need improved alloys. Lightweight alloys like Ti, Al, and Mg alloys have been heavily investigated in recent years, revealing their excellent properties.

Advanced methods to characterize a microstructure combine imaging methods with diffraction methods. The aim of all methods is to obtain detailed information of the 2D or, even better, 3D microstructure (grain size distribution; grain orientation distribution; precipitation distribution; 1D-, 2D-, and 3D-defect distribution; macro- and microstrain distribution; grain boundary information). Beside standard techniques, advanced in situ methods have been implemented for high-temperature studies and applied strain investigations, among others. These methods are based on optical microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, synchrotron radiation, and neutron radiation.

Indicative topics of the Special Issue scope are the following:

• Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD);
• Synchrotron investigations (in situ diffraction, 3DXRD)
• Time-resolved and classical X-ray diffraction
• In situ neutron diffraction
• Tomography
• 2D microstructure
• 3D microstructure
• Defect density
• Macro- and microstrain
• Crystallographic texture (grain orientation distribution)
• Metallic alloys (Fe, Cu, Ti, Al, Mg)

Special emphasis will be given to recent advances in the different techniques, to the characterization of produced parts regarding surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and/or mechanical properties, as well as to new applications of metallic materials.

Prof. Dr. Heinz-Günter Brokmeier
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

• EBSD
• in situ diffraction
• grain size distribution
• grain boundaries
• deformation of alloys
• recovery of alloys
• recrystallization of alloys
• grain orientation distribution (crystallographic texture)
• macrostrain and crack distribution
• 3D-XRD