Recent Advances in Mechanical Properties, Deformation Behavior, and Failure Mechanisms of Metals and Coatings

Dear Colleagues,

Metals and metallic materials remain indispensable in structural, functional, and protective applications across industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, biomedical engineering, and surface engineering. Their performance and reliability are strongly governed by mechanical properties, deformation behavior, and failure mechanisms, which are in turn influenced by composition, microstructure, processing routes, service environment, and surface or coating treatments. With the rapid development of advanced manufacturing technologies and surface engineering strategies, a deeper understanding of the mechanical response and failure behavior of metals has become increasingly important.

This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in the characterization, modeling, and understanding of the mechanical and deformation properties of metals, as well as the mechanisms governing damage initiation, evolution, and failure. Particular attention will be paid to the role of microstructural features—including grain size, phase distribution, defects, interfaces, and textures—and their interaction with external factors such as temperature, strain rate, loading mode, and environmental conditions. Contributions addressing the influence of coatings, surface modifications, and interfacial phenomena on mechanical performance and failure resistance are especially welcome, in line with the scope of Coatings.

This Special Issue seeks to bridge experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to provide comprehensive insights into metal deformation and failure. Advanced experimental techniques—such as in situ mechanical testing, electron microscopy, diffraction-based methods, and nano-/micro-mechanical testing—are encouraged, as are multiscale modeling and simulation studies that link microstructure to macroscopic behavior. Studies on conventional and emerging metallic systems, including steels, aluminum and magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, high-entropy alloys, amorphous metals, and metal matrix composites, are all within the scope of this Special Issue.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of metals and alloys;
• Fatigue, creep, fracture, wear, and corrosion-assisted failure;
• Microstructure–property–performance relationships;
• Effects of coatings and surface treatments on mechanical behavior and failure resistance;
• Damage mechanisms at interfaces and in coated or layered metallic systems;
• Multiscale experimental and computational approaches to deformation and failure;
• Performance of metals under extreme or complex service conditions.

By bringing together high-quality original research articles and comprehensive review papers, this Special Issue aims to provide an up-to-date overview of current progress and emerging trends in the field. It is expected to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and engineers working on the design, processing, surface engineering, and reliability assessment of metallic materials.

Prof. Dr. Sutasn Thipprakmas
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

• mechanical properties
• plastic deformation
• failure mechanisms
• fracture and fatigue
• microstructure–property relationships
• metallic materials
• surface coatings
• damage and wear
• multiscale modeling