**Preface to "Metallurgical Process Simulation and Optimization"**

Metallurgy involves the art and science of extracting metals from their ores and modifying the metals for use. With thousands of years of development, many interdisciplinary technologies have been introduced into this traditional and large-scale industry. In modern metallurgical practices, modelling and simulation are widely used to provide solutions in the areas of design, control, optimization, and visualization, and are becoming increasingly significant in the progress of digital transformation and intelligent metallurgy.

This Special Issue (SI), entitled "Metallurgical Process Simulation and Optimization", has been organized as a platform to present the recent advances in the field of modelling and optimization of metallurgical processes, which covers the processes of electric/oxygen steel-making, secondary metallurgy, (continuous) casting, and processing. Both fundamental insights and practical foresights are presented, including the topics of thermodynamics, kinetics, physical modelling, numerical simulation, CFD, 3D visualization, microstructural evolution, quality control, artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computation. Eighteen articles have been included that cover various aspects of the topic.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our most profound appreciation to the MDPI Book staff; the editorial team of the Materials journal, especially Mr. Felix Guo; the Assistant Editor of this Special Issue; the talented authors; and the hardworking and professional reviewers.

> **Qing Liu and Jiangshan Zhang** *Editors*
