金属的凝固和熔化是金属材料成形过程中的重要相变过程.当大体积的金属熔体被弥散为尺度在微米乃至纳米的微小液滴时，金属的凝固和熔化均会由于材料自身尺度的减小，而在相变过程中发生显著的变化.这一过程涉及到基础科学问题的研究、样品制备及表征技术的开发等,对金属的最终组织和使用性能，也会产生显著影响.对本研究团队近年来在微纳液滴凝固及熔化特性方面的研究进行总结，同时对该研究领域未来的发展进行展望.

Solidification and melting of metallic materials are crucial phase transformation in the metal forming process. When metallic materials in bulk volume are dispersed into infinitesimal droplets in microsize or even nanosize, significant changes in the solidification and melting processes can occur due to the size reduction of the materials. Obviously, these changes will dramatically influence the structure and service performances of the metallic materials. In this process, fundamental research on the scientific issues and the preparation techniques and characteristic methods for metallic droplets are involved. This article summarizes the research activities and accomplishments of the group in solidification and melting characteristics of infinitesimal droplets. Besides, the future development of research in this field is prospected.