Surface Engineering of Alloys and Metals: Material Properties and Coating Performance

Dear Colleagues,

The performance and reliability of alloys and metals are strongly influenced by their surface characteristics. Surface engineering provides a suite of sophisticated tools that enable the precise tailoring of the mechanical, chemical, and functional properties of metallic materials, rendering them well-suited for challenging service environments. Innovative coating design and surface modification have been demonstrated to enhance corrosion and wear resistance, improve thermal stability, and extend the service life of critical components.

This Special Issue, ‘Surface Engineering of Alloys and Metals: Material Properties and Coating Performance’, will highlight recent advancements in the development, characterization, and evaluation of the performance of coatings and surface-treated metals. Our focus is on understanding the correlation between processing parameters, microstructure, and material properties, and how these relationships determine the durability and functionality of coatings under real-world operating conditions.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications exploring novel coating technologies and advanced surface modification processes, including thermal spraying, physical and chemical vapor deposition, electrochemical and chemical methods, laser-based methods, and additive manufacturing approaches. Studies that combine experimental investigations with modeling, simulation, or multi-scale characterization are particularly encouraged.

The goal of this Special Issue is to promote collaboration between academia and industry. It will address surface engineering challenges in various sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, marine, energy, hydrogen, and fuel cell technologies. Contributions will offer valuable insights into designing next-generation metallic materials with superior performance and multifunctional surface properties. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Surface modification techniques for alloys and metals;
• Influence of coating microstructure and composition on material properties;
• Corrosion and oxidation resistance mechanisms in coated metals;
• Wear, erosion, and fatigue performance of surface-engineered metals;
• Thermal and mechanical stability of coatings under extreme conditions;
• Advanced coating processes: Physical and Chemical Vapor Deposition (PVD/CVD), thermal spraying, electrochemical and chemical deposition, and sol–gel, laser, and plasma treatments;
• Additive manufacturing and post-processing surface treatments for metallic materials;
• Nanostructured, composite, and hybrid coatings for enhanced durability and multifunctionality;
• Interfacial bonding, adhesion, and residual stress in coatings and substrates;
• Smart coatings with self-healing, sensing, or adaptive functionalities;
• Surface engineering challenges and solutions for fuel cell components, including hydrogen embrittlement mitigation and interconnect coatings;
• Modeling, simulation, and predictive methods for coating performance and degradation;
• Application-driven case studies in the aerospace, automotive, energy, marine, biomedical, and fuel-cell industries;
• Catalytic coatings and surface-engineered materials for improved electrochemical activity, stability, and efficiency in energy conversion devices.

Dr. Zita Sukackienė
Dr. Daina Upskuvienė
Dr. Ramūnas Levinas
Dr. Jolita Jablonskiene
Guest Editors

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. Coatings 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.