Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) (ISSN 1006-7191, CN 21-1361/TG) started in 1988. It is administrated by China Association for Science and Technology, sponsored by the Chinese Society for Metals, and managed by Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beginning with V.22 (1) 2009, this publication was indexed/abstracted in Science Citation Index Expanded.Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) provides an international medium for the publication of theoretical and experimental studies related to the fields of metallurgy, materials science and engineering. The studies which advance the understanding of the relationship between the processing, the structure and the properties of inorganic materials are of particular interest. Emphasis is on either the mechanical or functional behavior of inorganic solids at all length scales down to nanostructures.The journal does not seek or publish papers on concrete and cement-based systems nor on polymeric and polymer-based materials.