Surface Treatment of High Strength Steels

High strength steels (HSS) and advanced high strength steels (AHSS) have become foundational materials in modern manufacturing due to their unique combination of high strength, formability, toughness, crashworthiness, and lightweighting potential. Their widespread use in automotive, construction, appliance, and engineering applications has accelerated the development of modern steel grades, including dual phase (DP), complex phase (CP), transformation induced plasticity (TRIP), twinning induced plasticity (TWIP), and various third generation AHSS (3G-AHSS) such as quenching & partitioning (Q&P), medium manganese, carbide free bainitic (CFB) steels. As these materials evolve, surface engineering during their processing steps has become a critical factor influencing coating quality, durability, corrosion resistance and long-term service performance. Surface phenomena such as selective oxidation, coating-substrate interactions, hydrogen uptake, and environmental degradation can significantly affect component reliability. Consequently, advanced surface engineering and characterisation have become essential for maximising the performance, sustainability, and industrial applicability of next generation high strength steels.The proposed Research Topic aims to address the scientific and technological challenges associated with the surface treatment of high strength steels throughout their manufacturing route and service life. Although significant advances have been made in alloy design and thermomechanical processing, surface-related issues continue to limit the full utilisation of advanced steel grades. Problems such as selective oxidation during annealing, coating defects, and surface degradation through mechanisms like electrochemical corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement require integrated solutions that combine fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms with practical applicability. This Research Topic aims to bring together researchers, engineers, and industry experts to report innovative approaches for controlling surface reactions, optimising coating technologies, improving corrosion resistance, enhancing structural durability, and supporting sustainable steel production. By fostering interdisciplinary contributions from metallurgists, chemical engineering researchers and scientists from broader materials science that connect microstructural evolution, interfacial metallurgy, advanced characterisation, computational modelling, and green manufacturing strategies, the article collection will bridge the gap between laboratory-scale discoveries and scalable industrial implementation.Original research articles, short communications and critical reviews from the following sub-topics addressing the science and engineering of surface-treated high strength steels, from fundamental insights (thermodynamics, kinetics, interface phenomena, atomic-scale reactions) to industrial-scale applications are welcome. Interfacial Science, Oxidation Kinetics, Advanced Coating Chemistries:• Selective oxidation mechanisms in AHSS and their influence on surface wettability and coating quality• Microstructural evolution, phase transformations and precipitate refinement in advanced coatings (Zn-Al-Mg, Zn-Al, Al-Si etc.) • Characterisation of coating-substrate interfaces and inhibition layers using advanced techniquesPerformance Evaluation, Defect Mitigation, Structural Infrastructure:• Electrochemistry of cut-edge protection, localized corrosion propagation, and performance mapping under cyclic environmental testing • Root cause diagnostics of coating defects and metallurgical solutions for continuous galvanising processesComputational Modelling, Sustainability, Circular Economy:• Thermodynamic simulations and predictive models for oxidation, phase stability, and coating growth• Circular metallurgy approaches for valorisation of galvanising by-products• Low carbon surface processing technologies supporting green and sustainable steel manufacturing Topic editors: Radhakanta Rana, Anindita Chakraborty, Dominique Thierry, David Penney Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85337/surface-treatment-of-high-strength-steels