Recent Developments in Tribological and Mechanical Performance of Metallic Materials and Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Tribology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2436

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering University of Kragujevac, University of Kragujevac, Sestre Janjić 6, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Interests: mechanical engineering; tribology; optimization; micro/nano-composites; Taguchi-Grey; artificial neural networks
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metallic materials have been at the center of research for decades when it comes to mechanical and tribological behavior in complex working conditions. Due to their widespread use in the automotive, aerospace, energy, and tool industries, improving their wear resistance, friction control, and load-carrying ability remains a key research topic.

Progress in the field of surface modification, development of nanostructured coatings, as well as improved deposition and processing technologies, opens up new opportunities for optimizing properties in real operating conditions. At the same time, the need for energy efficiency, reducing the environmental impacts, and extending the service life of components further encourages the development of advanced solutions in this area.

This Special Issue aims to gather original research and review papers dealing with the improvement of tribological and mechanical properties of metallic materials and their coatings. A special focus is placed on understanding the correlation between the microstructure, the processing method, and the functional performance of the material in different working conditions. The themed issue is entirely in line with the goals of the Coatings journal, which covers research in the field of surface engineering and advanced coatings.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Slavica Miladinovic
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

Keywords

  • metallic materials
  • tribological properties
  • mechanical performance
  • surface engineering
  • wear resistance
  • protective coatings
  • nanostructured films
  • friction and lubrication

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1942 KB  
Article
High-Resolution Investigation of the Interfaces in Cathodic Arc Evaporated TiN/CrAlN Multilayer Coatings
by Saeideh Naghdali, Helene Waldl, Maximilian Schiester, Markus Pohler, Christoph Czettl, Michael Tkadletz and Nina Schalk
Coatings 2026, 16(4), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040438 - 6 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1193
Abstract
TiN/CrAlN multilayer coatings were synthesized by cathodic arc deposition using 2-fold substrate rotation and alternating targets. The effect of substrate rotation on the layer sequence, elemental fluctuations and interface quality was examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. The layers [...] Read more.
TiN/CrAlN multilayer coatings were synthesized by cathodic arc deposition using 2-fold substrate rotation and alternating targets. The effect of substrate rotation on the layer sequence, elemental fluctuations and interface quality was examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. The layers exhibited semi-coherent growth across the interfaces. Minor interface roughness and elemental intermixing limited to below 2 nm at the interface could be observed. Further, the formation of a Ti-enriched sublayer in the Cr1−xAlxN as a result of the 2-fold rotation was identified. Full article
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11 pages, 4386 KB  
Article
Tribological Performance Under Silica Debris in PAO–Fe Interfaces: An Atomistic Study
by Xiang Jiao, Guochen Huang, Yuyan Zhang, Juan Li, Chenchen Peng and Guoqing Wang
Coatings 2026, 16(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010091 - 11 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 745
Abstract
Silica-rich dust intrusion is a persistent challenge for lubrication systems in agricultural machinery, where abrasive third-body particles can accelerate wear and shorten component service life. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are employed to elucidate how SiO2 nanoparticle contamination degrades polyalphaolefin (PAO) boundary lubrication [...] Read more.
Silica-rich dust intrusion is a persistent challenge for lubrication systems in agricultural machinery, where abrasive third-body particles can accelerate wear and shorten component service life. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are employed to elucidate how SiO2 nanoparticle contamination degrades polyalphaolefin (PAO) boundary lubrication at the atomic scale. Two confined sliding models are compared: a pure PAO film and a contaminated PAO film containing 7 wt% SiO2 nanoparticles between crystalline Fe substrates under a constant normal load and sliding velocity. The contaminated system exhibits a higher steady-state friction force, faster lubricant film disruption and migration, and consistently higher interfacial temperatures, indicating intensified energy dissipation. Substrate analyses reveal deeper and stronger von Mises stress penetration, increased severe plastic shear strain, elevated Fe potential energy associated with defect accumulation, and reduced structural order. Meanwhile, PAO molecules store more intramolecular deformation energy (bond, angle, and dihedral terms), reflecting stress concentration and disturbed shear alignment induced by nanoparticles. These results clarify the multi-pathway mechanisms by which abrasive SiO2 contaminants transform PAO from a protective boundary film into an agent promoting abrasive wear, providing insights for designing wear-resistant lubricants and improved filtration strategies for particle-laden applications. Full article
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