Advances in Surface Engineering and Tribology of Materials
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Thin Films and Interfaces".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 119
Editor
Interests: high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure technology; abrasive water jets; optimization; computational simulation; machining efficiency and accuracy; surface roughness; abrasive materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Surface engineering and tribology are among the most rapidly advancing fields in materials science, exerting a critical influence on the functionality, reliability, and durability of modern mechanical systems, micro- and nanoelectronics devices, and biomedical implants. The material surface represents the boundary at which fundamental physical and chemical phenomena occur—friction, wear, corrosion, adhesion, and contact fatigue—all of which determine the service life of components across the machinery, aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical industries. The development of advanced manufacturing technologies, such as metal additive manufacturing (AM), laser surface processing, nanoscale coatings, and composite tribological systems, is revolutionizing approaches to surface design and modification. In parallel, computational methods (MD simulations, DFT, machine learning) are advancing rapidly, enabling modelling of tribological phenomena at the atomic scale and predicting novel material properties.
This Special Issue aims to bring together current scientific contributions in surface engineering and tribology, with particular emphasis on the synergy between advanced manufacturing technologies and the materials’ tribological properties. This issue responds to the growing demand from both the scientific and industrial communities for interdisciplinary knowledge-exchange platforms bridging materials science, mechanical engineering, and surface physics. Surface engineering is inherently linked to the functional properties of materials—and thus to the scope and mission of the journal Materials. This issue aligns with the strategic priorities of sustainable development (SDGs), particularly in areas of energy efficiency and product lifecycle extension. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
A. Coatings and Surface Modification
- Hard, multilayer, and gradient coatings
- Thermally sprayed coatings
- Conversion coatings, anodising, nitriding, and carburising
- Low-friction coatings
- Biofunctional coatings for implants and surgical instruments
B. Tribology—Friction, Wear, and Lubrication
- Mechanisms of friction and wear under extreme conditions
- Nanotribology and microtribology
- Erosive, cavitation, and fretting wear
- Lubrication with low-viscosity fluids, eco-friendly lubricants, and nanolubricants
C. Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Surface Properties (priority topic of this issue)
- Additive Manufacturing (AM)
- Laser processing
- Hybrid manufacturing processes
- Ultra-precision machining and burnishing
- Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM)
D. Characterization and Modelling
- Advanced methods of surface state characterization
- Profilometry and roughness measurements
- Machine learning and AI methods for predicting tribological properties
- FEM simulations of contact and wear of components
E. Industrial Applications and Sustainable Development
- Tribology in the automotive, aerospace, and space industries
- Cutting tools for difficult-to-machine materials (titanium, Inconel, CFRP)
- Tribology in the energy sector
- Tribological biomaterials
- Ecotribology: biodegradable lubricants, coating recycling
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Andrzej Perec
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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
- surface roughness
- advanced manufacturing
- cutting quality
- erosion
- control parameters optimization
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